The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-25
the Panama route is far superior to any

the Panama route is far superior to any
other.
Col. ]. L. Pearcy, former United States
consul at Colon, spoke briefly but force
fully in favor Of the Panama project. The
Panama route, he said, Is the shortest
and most practicable for any kind of a
canal, and the only possible place for a
sea-leVel canal. He further said that the
Panama canal can be completed in eight
years for about 800, 100000, material and
equipment being on the spot in nearly
sufficient quantities. He further claimed
that 1t would take a steamer forty eight
hours to pass through the Nicaragua ca
nal and only twelve hours through the
Panama. In conclusion he said that the
Panama project. was held back in the
United States by a political clique which
ne declared to be worKing il favor Of the
Nicaraguan plan.
Henry w. Peabody. representing COM
mercial interests in Sydney and other
parts Of Australia, was the next speak
er. He said the Panama canal had been
regarded as a French affair, and as the
American people had more identified
themselves with the Nicaragua canal
route, that had come to be regarded as
the more favored route IN the United
States, but it appeared from the discus
sions on the floor that the question had
one of these routes will be established
and the United States is looked to to do
the work
CONCEDED NATURAL WAY.
II. A. Gudger, United States consul at
Panama, spoke in favor of the route con-
templated by that canal, and said that
foc more than half century it has been
tho conceded natural way, resulting in the
expenditure of many millions and the
many scandals connected with 1t. He IA
vored the continuation of the same route
on the ground that it is the natural
course, that one-third of it is completed
and men Of probity had taken the place
of the old company and Its scandals Con-
tinuing he said:
after a careful survey Of the field I
believe that the time is right for the pur-
chase by the United STATES and control
of this canal The terms Of the conceS-
sion we may obtain for it are liberal, and
my impression is that Colombia will hail
with pleasure the ownership OF this route
by the United States"
H. A. Sells, of London, read a paper on
''The New Trade Routes OF the World -
He favored the construction Of the Pan
ANA canal
]. A Humphreys, of Colon, also spoke
in it's favor.
A paper prepared by Enrich Wolff, con-
sui general of Bolivia, made a similar
recommendation.
NEED FOR SHIPS
'"The wish has often been expressed
here that our flag should float upon
every sea and appear in every port, but
let me tell you, gentlemen, that the ma
ton has not enough vessels to carry that
flag where we would wish. She has only
10000 tons of shipping that could be used
in carrying trade through such a canal
as has been proposed, while England has
10, ,000.''
The speaker, hoped, however, that the
building of the interoceanic canal would
stimulate our shipping and give us an
impetus in this direction which we very
much need 1t seems shameful that of ST.
100000 600 in exports from this country
during the year 1898 that less than ten per
cent of 1t is carried in American bottoms
The chairman then proposed a number
of questions as to the relative merits OF
the two routes, suggesting first that the
northern or Nicaraguan canal route
would be shorter to the East, that 1t
would be more important to North Amer
lea than the Panama route, as the Pana-
ma route was especially favored because
of interests of South America, third as
to which of the routes was the better
for sailing vessels; fourth, does not the
Nicaragua canal route offer the advan-
tages of passing through great and
fourishing country?