New-York tribune., 1895-10-31
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

The report Of the Commission of Engineers
on the Nicaragua Canal is finished and Will he
nlaced in the Presidents hands this week
Those best informed concerning 1t conilienuy
nredict II will be found TO favor strongly the
construction Of the canal, and that by the United
States Government. If so the report Will, GER
tainly in respect to the former particular. ana
probably in respect TO the latter also. be heartily
onnroyed by the mass Of the American people.
There are some, Of course, who oppose the en-
ternrise. from belief that It will not prove
profitable. No one has probably presented that
view OF the case more strongly than Mr. Joseph
Nimmo. jr. formerly chief Of the Bureau of
Statistics Of the Treasury Department. Ills
Judgment Is usually sound and convincing. But
in this case we cannot so regard 1t; or indeed
the arguments Of any who oppose the canal on
that ground The reasonable expectation Is we
believe, that apa.t from the transatlantic and
transpacic commerce that will seek that route
ard apart from the traffic between our own
Gulf and Atlantic and our Pacific ports both
@; which will be considerable. the constantly
Increasing volume Of trade between this coun-
trv and the westen countries of South America
will amply justify and pay for the construction
Of the canal That route, indeed, ought to have
almost a monopoly Of the carrying trade be-
tween the Gulf and North Atlantic, and the
ports of Ecuador, Peru and Chill. II ought,
moreover to give this country an Overwhelming
prcdomjnance in the foreign commerce OF those
republics.
Entirely apart from the question Of cutting the
canal is the question whether this Government
ought TO undertake the work, or 10 leave 1t TO
private enterprise. On this also there are vari-
ous opinions. but we believe the majority Will
be found TO accord with the reported recon-
mendation Of the Engineers Commission There
are precedents enough, both In this country and
elsewhere. TO justify the Governments assump-
ton OF such n work. Some OF them have not
been. in every detail, altogether happy The
Pacific Railroad, for example, has been cause
Of contention and annoyance. The trouble has
arisen however. not from the Governments
porticipaton in the work. but from errors of
policy in executing and administering it; and
in spite Of them all 1t has on the whole been
greatly for the good of the Nation that the road
was built under Government patronage. II the
canal could be promptly constructed by purely
private enterprise. and the absolute control OF
it forever assured to the United States there
would be no question Of the deslrability Of such
n plan over that Of Government participation.
There are serious reasons, however, for doubt
ing whether that can be done. If it cannot,
there remain only two other courses. One is to
abandon the scheme altogether and have no
transisthmian canal at all. The other Is for the
Government TO undertake the work.
For this is certain. that If there be any such
canal il must always be controlled by the United
States. That principle Is, no doubt, repugnant
to those isolated individuals who deem it
improper for this country to have anything TO
do with anything on the American Continent
outside It's own borders. 1T Is none the less
firmly fixed in the minds Of the American people.
Nor is there any serious objection to 1t elsewhere
In the world The Central American States
realize that such control would be protection
to them against European aggression and also
against quarrels among themselves. and all the
commercial Powers Of the world know perfectly
well that in no other way could the freedom
and neutrality Of the canal be SO certainly as
sured One semofiicial organ Of the British
Colonial Office has it is true, burned some red
fire about it, and declared somewhat shrllly
that the commercial interests of Great Britain
would be menaccd by American control Of the
canal Curiously enough. that Is the paper
formerly edited by the statesman Journalist who
conceived and la gey executed the scheme OF
securing for Great Britain control Of the Snez
Canal Such u'cries and invocaiions Of the
Clayton Bulwer treaty are not likely TO have any
serious effect. however If the musiy and dis
honored Clayton Bulwer treaty Is in our way. II
can easily be removed 1t should be removed
II was bundcringly made. II has been broken
again and again. II has never done this coun-
try any good and Great Britain. while playing
fast and loose with ii M will. has more than
once expressed desire for Its abrogation. Our
Government will do well TO take prompt Steps
toward getting rid OF IL altogether Then,
whether under private or public auspices. we
may have our Atlantic and Pacific ports con-
nected by waterway which will be In theory