Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-02-01
inc Senate Passes the Canal Bm


""r''y be satisfactory to real friends
oi th' canal who are not also holders
ot the stock of the Maritime Canal
company. The bill proposes to give
the company S5,OOG.OO0 for it's cen
ceSS'on aud assets, though Nicaragua
mas declared its concession lapsed.
ana ITS assets are worth. in the opin-
100 of impal tial experts, not over
eo"o,OOO. IL proceeds upon the as.
sumption that the United States may
lake control of the canal, in violation
Oh an express provision of the conc+s
sion which forbids the Maritime "a
nal Company 10 transfer It's franchise
90 any government. IL also substi
! flutes for the absolute neutrality re.
Pulred by Nicaragua a sham neutral
ity, the provision of the dill on this
hesd being to the fleet that thu ca
hai ~ necessary connection between
the eastern aud western coast lines of
: The | ulted States and shall. there.
rore. ne closed to auv nation with
which the United states il nj war.
Being all interior line. AN enemy il
not To be permitted To use it TO our
hurt Tins Is natural and nr,es
Ssrv provision. perhaps. if W. ure -
pay the entire cost of construction.
hut II Is not the Kind of neutrality
contemplated ia the Maritime Com
pany charter nor IA the CLAYTON
Bulwer treaty.
The hill a. p0e~eu X the Morgan
biil considerably modified. hat is 4
victory for the c;nal lobby. iuasmuch
ms IT provides biz money for distribu-
ton among those who have been giv-
ell Maritime Canal Company stock -
have been let III on the ground floor. "
The company's stock is 70 be 500.
100000, of which the nted States
is 10 take S92, 100000. the rest going
to the company and to Costa Rica
and Nicaragua. The company. as
already stated, is to receive -. .OOO.-
600 for all it's interests and will there
upon cease to exist, except so far as
1t will be represented Gy board of
seven directors, five of whom are
be appointed by the President and
one each by Costa Rico and Nicara-
qua. These directors are TO con
struct the canal in six years lat
cost not to exceed 100000,
which sum is appropriated, but pay
ments shall not exceed $40. 600 a
year" The bill provides for the con
tingency that Nicaragua may persist
in her refusal TO consider the Mari
time Canal Company's concession still
valid by authorizing the President to
negotiate for renewal of the conces-
sion, If necessary, or, In case Nicara-
qua is obdurate, to negotiate "for
some other canal"-the Panama
route. for instance. There is a pro
vision also against sharp practice ON
.. the part of the Maritime Canal Com
l. pany in the authority given 10 the
President TO decide whether that
company's concession shall be useC
at sill. The violation of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty contemplated in thu
= terms of the bill in respect to th'
neutrality of the canal is to be Obvi
ated, if practicable, by negotiation
with Great Britain for the abrogatioI
or modification of the Clayton Bul
wer treaty.
The bill begs the question whethe
there is any prospect of the canal be
ing any utility commensurate with II
S. cost, whether from the military @
st commercial point of view. Noinve'
tigation is ordered. 1t is simply a'
sumed, without impartial inquir.
that the canal is dire necessity, bot
= for military purposes aud for on
trade. This, too, in opposition to III
n views of experts, who declare that tt
4 thirteen trans continental railwa,
already solve the problem of inte
tn oceanic transportation. We con'
J not use the canal, it is shown, to pa
our ships from the Atlantic to Il
Pacific i'm time of war unless we he
the sea at both ends of it at all tim
with a powerful naval force al
could guard the whole l6S miles
! its length agains' steslthy dynami
ers. An enemy stronger at sea th'