El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-08
THE CANAL.

In his annual message the president
takes an unequivocal position on the
question of building the Nicaragua
canal. His attitude as to this matter
has never been In question, but hap
penings during the past ten months
have demonstrated the absolute ne
cessity of the government OF the United
States building and controlling the
canal. The president of course accepts
the forward movement of the nation
and her expansion of influence in the
Pacific as the call of destiny, and rec
ognizing our new responsibilities he
recommends measures designed to
meet the e~xigencies created by this
newest development. The president
writes as follows concerning the canal:
The Nicaragua canal commission
under the chairmanship OF Rear Ad-
mirsi John G. Walker, appointed July
Il, 1897, under the authority Of q pro-
vision In the sundry civil act OF June
4 Of hat year, has nearly completed it's
labors and the results of its exhaus-
tive inquiry into the proper route,
the feasibility and the cost of construc-
ton of an i~nter-oceanic canal by Mica
rsguan route will be laid before you.
In the performance of its tack the COM
mission received all possible courtesy
and assistance from the governments
of Nicaragua and Costa RIGA, which
thus testified their appreciation Of the
Importance OF giving q speedy aad
that has for 80 many years engrossed
the attention of the respective countries
AS the scope of recent inquiry embrac-
ed the whole subject with the aim Of
making plans n surveys for q canal
by the most convenient route, 1t ne
cessarily included q review OF the re-
suits of previous surveys and plans and
in particular those adopted by the Ms
ritime Canal company under it's exist
ing concessions from Nicaragua and
Costa RIGA, so that to this extent those
grants necessarily held ar essential
part in the deliberations and conclu-
sions of the canal commission as they
have held and must hold in the discus
sion Of the matter by the congress.
He then goes on to speak definitely
of the new concession lately granted
to New York people by Nicaragua,
and states his view Of the right Of the
county as follows:
Under these circumstances and In
view OF overtures made to the govern
menus Vi NlC6TdRud anu SOsto IstCb ny
other parties for q new
canal concession predicated on
the assumed approaching lapse
OF the present contracts Of the
Maritime Canal company with those
states, L have not hesitated to e press
my conviction hat considerations of
expediepcy and international policy as
between the several governments in
terested in the construction and on
troll Of an ~inter-oceanic canal
by this route require the
maintenance OF the status quo until
the canal commission shall have
reported and the United States con
gress shall have had the opportunity
to pass finally upon the whole matter
during the present session, without
prejudice by reason of any change in
the existing conditions. Nevertheless,
1t appears that the government of Mi
caragua as one of its last sovereign
acts before merging its powers in those
of the newly formed United States of
Central America has granted an option
al concession to another association
to become effective on the expiration
of the present grant. 1t does not APP
pear what surveys have been made or
what route is proposed under this con-
tingent grant, so hat an examination
of the feasibility of it's plans is neces-