The age-herald., 1898-01-08
THAT NICARAGUA CANAL A Convention to Be Held in Kan-
 sas City, Mo.
 DELEGATE FROM THIS CITY Will Be Appointed By Mayor Evans, Who Will Be Unable to Attend-Senator Mor-
 gan Will Be Present.
DELEGATE FROM THIS CITY

It is the intention of Mayor Evans to send a delegate to the Nicaragua canal conven- tion, which convenes in Kansas City, Mo-, on Aug. IT.
 He has received a letter from F. M Will Hams, secretary of the Kansas City ar engagements committee, urging him to either be present in person or send a delegate. The mayor thinks that it will be impossible for him to attend, but it is likely that he will select delegate who will go. The purpose of the convention will be to urge congress at it's present session to appropriate money to build the canal. The
 governors of all central and western states
 have been asked to send delegates, one
 from each congressional district and two
 at large, and the mayors of all important
 cities and towns within this territory will be invited to attend the convention either in person or by proxy. Among other dis tinguished delegates who are expected to be present are Senator Morgan of Alabama, chairman of the Nicaragua congressional commission, and Louis D. Baker, ex-United States minister to Nicaragua. James H. Harkless, president of the association hav- ing the convention in charge, says of the plan:
 AA-O--NS no way that would prove more advantage ous to the trans Mississippi states than by cutting ship way through the isthmus and thereby connecting the Pacific and At lantic oceans. We are now building up a | big grain port at the terminus of the Pitts | burg and Gulf road on the gulf coast that puts Kansas City 700 miles nearer the sea- board than it was before. line of vessels will ply from this port to carry our grain and products to Europe. Why should these vessels not enter the Pacific competition as well as the Atlantic?
 "The only reason is that they must now | go around Cape Horn, 10000 miles further than they would have to sail if the canal were open The canal would bring directly | to us the trade of the islands of the Pa cific and put cheaper transportation be- tween these Mississippi states and China There is every reason why this government should build and own the canal. It has been estimated that the American canal would cost $100 900 900, but the outlay would | be nothing compared with the benefits to | be derived.
 "Aside from all considerations of com | merce it would be invaluable as strate- gic point in the event of war. If we had | possession of it we could close it to un- 1 friendly powers and pass through 1t our selves whenever we pleased. The advantage l of this will be apparent at once, ana II 1 we don't build it within the next few years | some other nation will"
 The Kansas City reorganization has In l mind the plan as recommended to con- gress by the recent Nicaragua canal com mission, which differs materially from that | of De Lesseps, the French engineer. The scheme as projected by the. French gov ernment was to build canal thirty miles long straight across the isthmus at its narrowest point; that of the United States l commission is to follow the San Juan river | to the Nicaragua lake, thereby reducing 1 the distance to be excavated to 26.S miles, | though the distance across the isthmus at l this point is 169 miles.
 l "rbe Suez canal cost Western Europe | s1o2 75o. COOL continues MT. Harkless 'It l was built to shorten the distance to their | eastern trade by 5000 miles, and 1t has proved a paying investment. Three thous- | and. three hundred and fifty-two vessels of l 8 oae 10s tons net passed through this canal in 1894 yielding s14 ,OS1 in dues. It is sup posed that near five million tons would | mass through the Nicaragua canal in one year. yielding at least s10,0OO,OOo revenue, | of which 95 per cent. would De net pront' This profit would increase as commerce l would extend, thus yielding an enormous revenue to the government.
 "The Pacific slope stands without rival | in the production of fruits, but that indus try is now paralyzed by reason of the long rail haul and impracticable shipment by water on account of the long delay in tram l sit. The Nicaragua canal would open up | the markets of the new world to their | fruits and make that now languish- | ing business the most profitable in the | world.
 '"The benefits to the Pacific slope alone
 | would pay fair dividend on the invest ment. It is impossible to make fair es-
 | timate of the amount of commerce that would flow through this channel if com | pleted. We can only estimate from our ex-
 ports and imports of recent years."
 It is conceded that Kansas City would
 | reap great benefit from the completion of
 the canal, but that city would not be alone
 | The advantages, it is claimed, would be
 manifest to the people of the Western, Cen
 | tral and Southern states.
 |