Arizona republican., 1898-11-27
PANAMA OR NICARAGUA.

The question that promises shor,ly
 to absorb American interest is that
 dealing with the construction of an fn-
 tercceanic canal,' says the Boston
 Commercial Bulletin Whether or nor
 we owe ne stimulus to such broad and
 radical action as the project demands
 to the awakening effects of the receEt
 war is not of material importance. al | though certain incidents in connection | with the existence O hOS.ilities have given fOrceful proofs Of the necessity for a facile ard expeditions msans of entry into the Pacific from the Allan
 tic ocean.
 We have offered Us two routes for exploiting an interoceanic waterway and partisans of bo.h are jealous to enlist popular favor in their respective merits. Prior to the report of the com mission detailed by the United States
 government to investigate .he pro- posed course through Nicaragua we have, however, few facts upon which to base judgment Of the comparative advantages of the two, and in the ab- sence Of confirming data concerning the Nicaragua route the presen- pro- motors of the Panama canal are strGl- uously endeavCring to thrust their scheme upon cur attention.
 With no knowledge to the contrary, it had become common belief in his country that work upon the Panama route had been allowed to remain where the laundering Of the De Les seps scheme had ingnominiously left it. But as soon as the American govern ment began definite action to exploit a way through Nicaragua there was announced quite suddenly that French capitalists had taken ID the work on Panama, had already expended mil lions of dollars in furthering the con struction and had made progress to the extent. of from two-ffths 10 one-halE of I;he. entire route.
 It is palpable that one canal will be put through and equally Obvions that this route will be completed by American capital and under American direction alone.
 "The difficulties which confronted the engineers in the Panama cut, when work was abandoned some years ago, have not yet been forgotten, and even if, as the Panama enthusiasts assert, these natural obstacles have been sur mounted the cost of the implements, property rights and remuneration for labor expended together wikh the con servatively estimated cost Of cOnple tion, makes the total prOhibitively high, provided, of course, the alterna- tive route proves at all feasible.
 "The cost O. the Panama canal, as work stands today, is about $125 ,000,- coo. It is affirmed that the route can be completed in the course of ten years or so at an additional expeEdi- ture Of $1000U0 000. The length of the Panama route is fOrty-siX miles, and the chief difficulties to cOn-end with are the rock formations, through which almost the entire proposed way lies, the devastating overfows of the Cha 1 gres river and the slides at the Cu!e bra cut.
 The Clayton-Bulwer treaty had nOminally detsrred Americans from 1 upon such Q serious undertak- i ing as the construc ton Of the Nicar- | asua canal, and had even served in a ] measure to prevent thorough iEvesti- 1 gation Of the route contemplated. The i present cordial relations of the parties 1 to this treaty removes much Of the in i fiUence which 1t earlier exsrted, and il | is, nor cover, a matter of practical as surance that the treaty will be abr0- ' gated provided that the entrance upon | the work shall demand the cessation 1 Of it's enforcement.
 The Nicara qua commission has been | with $300,000 and allowed con- l siderable time so as to Insure an abSo- Iutely thorough investigation and q i report. IL can, there fore. be expected tha! the commission n it's report will give some definite de- cision concerning the practicability Of he Nicaragua canal, and if it's cOnclu- ;ions verify the assertions of the un- official advocates Of this route, pur- ;hase by he United States of the Pana- ma scheme will be distinctly undesir- .ble.'