The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05

pronounced adherence of the United States
70 principles long since enunciated by the
highest authority of the government, and
now, in. the judgment of the President,
firmly inwoven as an integral and inn
efHrtant part Of our na mRs p4 RI am
This prompt note of Secretary blalne put
stop to any negotiations which might
then have been pending:
Senior Julio Reugifo, the Colombian
charge d'affaires, said tonight: Il know
nothing about any new developments in
the affairs of the Panama Canal Company.
II any negotiations are under way between
that company and any new syndicate. II IS
out Of my knowledge. 1 do not think 1t
possible that the holders of the concession
could dispose of their rights without con-
sulting the United States of Colombia and
obtaining sanction for their acts. and /
should thus have heard of 1t.
AT this moment l am advised there are
more than three thousand laborers at work
On the canal at the Cullebra cut. Twenty
four miles in all are complete-that is flf-
teen miles on the Atlantic side and nine
miles on the Pacific slope of the iSthmus.
Senator John T. Morgan, of Alabama, was
asked recently regarding the rumored Brit
ish control He replied "A revival of the
Panama scheme is always to be regarded
as an indirect method OF forcing conces-
sions from us regarding the Nicaraguan
canal. If Europe wants to see an isthmian
canal absolutely under control of the
United States, the way to begin will be for
her to attempt to secure undue advantage
at Panama. The issue would be met at
oEce."
Were Great Britain in absolute military
control of the Panama canal, completed of
a capacity to pass her largest ironclads,
the United States would be almost at her
mercy in case of war Such an advantage
could only be partly offset by the con-
struction of the Nicaragua canal. Billions
of dollars spent in coast Notifications, the
erection of a tremendous naval station in
the Hawaiian islands and the construction
of an extensive fleet would not neutraliZe
the vast advantage which Great Britain
would possess in the undisputed control of
the Panama canal. With time and power
to erect defenses at each END or tnat canal a.
Great Britain would be then in truth the
mistress of the seas. She could then al
ford to build naval vessels, ironclad Tor
ironclad, cruiser for cruiser, torpedo Dodt
for torpedo boat, against the whole world
and the tribute which the Panama canal
would yield her would more tnan pay IN
terest on the investment, until the world
gave up the unequal struggle in utter nope
leSSnesS.
Great Britain builds the outworks of her
worldwide defences in the greatest Sc
CT ecy.
Notwithstanding the work that Is con-
tinually going on at all the British tortln-
cations in the western hemisphere, the OPP
erations have been guarded with such care
that to-day there is probably little accurate
information in the possession OF the war
offices of any government. 1t has been the
policy of the British to constantly Keep
their military works at HalifaX, ESqul-
malt, Jamaica, Santa Lucia ana the baha-
mas in such an advanced state of read1-
ness as to make them tmpregnable for any
fleet which might be sent against them
In pursuance of this plan, the latest heaVy
ordnance mounted in disappearing carriages
and mortars of a powerful type have from
time to time been installed in modern ce-
ment batteries and easements.
Parties visiting the vicinity or the works
are arrested and searched II it is thought
that they are coming. too close or are bent
on finding out any of the military secrets,
and to be discovered either with drawings,
photographs or notes is enough to consign
the luckless spy to a heavy fine and inn
prisonment for a period of not less than
five years.
A naval officer, in speaking of Santa Lu-
cha, said to-day that the British officials
there constantly change the guns in the
batteries, build larger numbers OF gun car
riages than they have guns 80 &c, confuse l,ase
conflicting reports through the agencies
employed and relied on by the representa-
tives of foreign powers sent there to
The work has been going on at Halifax
for a period Of ten years, and THIS point
is a most advantageous one for naval OPP
erations, by reason of its proximity to the
Nova Scotian coal fields. coal being next
to powder the most essential thing for
fleet. Said a prominent naval officer to-
day. lay; o.so nor should ooo,r hstwaon Tho
United States and Great Britain, with the
latter in possession CT the Panama canal,
the futility of our fleets attacking the i'm
pregnabe Notifications of the enemy must
be apparent to all. Our policy would be
plainly one of defense, awaiting the at
tack of the British fleet at some convenient
locality between Montauk point and Penob-
scot bay. The one weak spot in the British
line of forts encircling the United States
lies in the failure of some captain to have
Hawaiian islands. They are only about
400 miles from the coal fields of Australia,
the product of which continent is superior
to any coal mined on our Pacific coast.
The facility of passing from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, which the possession of
the canal would give, would enable Great
Britain to strike us in either flank at will.
Any present naval or coast defense of ours
would be too puerile to consider. With
unlimited resources at command at the
present moment we would not, in ten years
of the most active work put ourselves in
condition to successfully Withstand her as
saults. We would be at her mercy. That
is all there is to it,