The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-04
IT ASTOUNDING
Ex-senator Warner Miller on the
Nicaraguan Canal.
PANAMA PEOPLES GALL
The Unitsd States Must Have Absolute
Control OF the Canal-The Panama
Men Have No Money. but an
Abundance OF Cheek.

New York. Dec. 3.-Ex-senator War
ner Miller. who was at the head of the
N~icaraguan company. in a public state
ment to-day touching the fact that rep
resentatives of the Panam canal are
reported to have gone to Washington,
supposedly to oppose the building of the
Nicaragua canal. said he looked upon
it as AN astounding piece of effrontery
on their part" Mr.. Miller calls atten-
ton to a message sen, to ongres by
President Hayes. March 8. 1850. in
which he said:
THE policy of this country is a canal
under American control. The United
States cannot consent to the surrender
of this control to any European power
or to any combination of European
powers. Our commercial interest In IL
Is greater h a all other countries,
while its relations TO our power and
prosperity as a nation, to our means
of defense, our unity, peace and safety
are matters of paramount concern to
the people of the United States"
Mr.. Miller then says; The American
people will have M ana under any
auspices save their own. that of their
own government, and IL the Panama
canal IL ever 10 Dt Dufit u f1ust Dt
surrendered to the control of the Unit
ed States.
1T will be remembered that in 1877 a
congress met in Paris, called by Count
de Lesseps. to consider the question of
an isthmian canal. At that congress
Count de Lesseps gave 1t as his opinion.
and II was the judgment of the entire
assembly, that only a sea level canal
could be constructed at Panama; that
IL a canal with locks was to be built
the proper place to build IL was In
Nicaragua. The congress decided in
ravor Of a sea level canal and of course
chose the Panama route"
Mr.. Miller reviews the organization
of the old Panama company. its work
in the United States to block the Mica
raguan schemes. the failure of the old
and the formation of a new
Panama canal company for the pur-
| pose of keeping alive the concessions
from Colombia. Continuing, Mr.. MIL
Ter says:
Now, when there seems to be a great
probability of the Nnited States gov
terprise the new Panama company APP
pears upon the scene to procure or pre-
vent legislation, not with a large
amount of money, but by the simple
| exercise of cheek. They are undertake
ing to fool the American people with
the Proposition mat fdndihd 10 tht
proper place to build a high level canal
with locks. which De Lesseps and the
| congress in Paris declared not feasible
in Panama. but feasible in Nicaragua.
President Hutin claims to have solved
the heretofore unsolvabie problem IN
connection with the Panama route.
The Culebra pass has been found, &C
cording to his statement, perfectly easy
of execution. But a m OF
French engineers sent out by the
French government soon after the fail-
ure of the other company made a most
voluminous report. which i b nave recent
ly examined. and I do not find any
where in il that the commission nave
ever said that the route is feasible. They
all say that If certain possible contin-
gencies did not happen the canal might
be constructed for something IKE
81. 900. 900. 900. This may be whitfield
down TO 500. 900, 900"
Mr.. Miller then enters into an anaiy
sis from an engineers point of view as
10 the difficulties to be overcome as 10
the construction of the Panama canal,
and concludes by stating that in sup
mort of the claims of Mr.. Hutin and ms
assistants we have only their state
ments. He adds:
They admit openly that they came
here to persuade this government or
congress to do nothing in favor OF the
Nicaragua canal