The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-25
UNITED STATES HANDICAPPED BY
THE LACK OF OCEAN CARRY
ING VESSELS
MUST REMEDY THE DEFECT
SOLUTION TO. BE FOUND IN THE
BUILDING OF A GREAT CANAL
IS SUGGESTED
ROUTES PROPOSED DISCUSSED
.ess Delegates


as to the More Feasible Canal
Project Are Varied-AH Are
Agreed, However, That What Is
Most Needed Is More Ships.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24.-Today's ses
sion Of. the International commercial con-
gress was devoted to the discussion OF
canals, and several valuable papers Were
read on the subject Of isthmian water
ways James c.. Monaghan, United States
consul at Chemnitz, presided. Among
those who addressed the delegates were
]. B. Calvo, Costa Rican minister to the
United States; Climaco Calderon, Colom-
bian minister; Lewis F. Correa, Nicar-
auguan minister; H. A. Gudgers, United
States consul at Panama; Henrique
Wulff, consul general of Bolivia; J. w.
Humphrey, of Colon; William Pember
Reeves, OF New Zealand;' Sir Horace
Tozer of Queensland, and j. B. Johnson,
of Minnesota There was also an open
discussion of the isthmian canal Mr..
Monaghan in opening the session, said
that Germany has now a vast system of
canals, and that her example had been
emulated by Russia.
"Once the Nicaraguan canal is built,
he said "there car be no question but
that it will be a saving to the world
equal 10 s400, ,GOO000 year. Suppose, then,
it does cost s2OC 000, ,nG0, this seems to me
to be mere bagatelle by comparison.
The waters which once divided the na-
tions of the earth have now become the
golden links which unite them, and the
greatest possibility now open to human
ingenuity and enterprise is the construc-
ton of such works as this great Nicar-
aguan canal
Nj. Calvo spoke of the position of that
country and her direct interest in the
uniting of the two great oceans by means
of a canal across the American isthmus.
The advantageous position of Costa Rica
between Nicaragua and Panama, he says.
insures to its people all the benefits of
proximity as the nearest neighbor, which,
ever of the two places the route may
ultimately traverse.
But he continued, "the Costa Rican
frontier does not reach the line of the
Panama canal, while a portion of our
territory is Indispensable to the Nicaragua
route And this is not new fact or one
established by recent surveys, but was
well known since the very days of .Vasco
Nunez de Bilboa."
He then sketched the history Of the
isthmtan canal project from it's inception
to its present status.
COSTA Rica," he asserted, realizes the
great Importance of this work, the mcst
transcendental, perhaps, undertaken in
this age and contributes to encourage it,
consulting her own interests and the i'm
pulse to be derived from it by the general
progress of the world, and especially Of
the nations of this continent"
At the afternoon session the Nicaraguan
canal was the subject of q paper read
by DR.. Juan ]. Ulloa, consul general OF
Costa Rica, at New York, and former
vice president of Costa Rica- DR.. Ulloa
said:
"It seems unnatural, net to say dicu-
lous. that such a trife rs cutting through
a eew yards of land should compel the
giant of commerce to GO around cape
Horn. Let us soon see steam and cleo
tricity giving all the power needed to
make a reality OF what today constitutes
the most important project Of the age.
The trip of the Oregon during the recent
war was an object lesson which conc.u-
siyely demonstrated the commercial and
political necessities of the canal which
will make Il difference of 10000 miles hy
sea between the two coasts of the United
States, and bring New York nearer the
American possessions of Hawaii, Fh.hp-
pines and the Ladrones.
UNCLE SAM AS LAND GRABBER.
Mr.. Rotterdam, a delegate from Mel
bourne. said that anyone who had studied
the commerce from one country to the
other would realize what a, blessing the
construction of the canal would be to
commerce Uncle Sam has gone into busl-
ness a. little late as a land grabber and
protector, but he is just beginning to
catch up and he should hurry up to con-
meet his new possessions in the East with
his states in the East The politicians should
not be allowed to stand in the way of the
great interoceanic canal scheme. The
merchants and manufacturers of America
should compel the politicians to do their
duty.
In the unavoidable absence of Minister
U. L. Merry, of Costa Rica, his paper on
the Nicaraguan canal was read by
Francis Tracy Lobin, of this city. Mr..
Merry, in summing up his paper, said:
"It is suggested that this short and i'm
perfect paper satisfactorily demonstrates
the following points:
"One-That the sanitary conditions are
more favorable at Nicaragua than at
Panama.
"Two-That the Nicaraguan canal will,
"Three-That the Nicaragua route, is
available for sailing vessels, while that
of Panama is practically available only
for steamers.
''Four-That the facilities for COM
munication are the most favorable at
Nicaragua.
'Five-That it has materials for con.
struction and food supply which are lack
ing at the Panama isthmus.
"Six-That the supply of lockage water
by gravity is superabundant at Nicaragua
and doubtful at Panama.
"Seven-The cost of operation will not
materially differ.
"EightEThe Nicaragua canal will have
a local earning capacity which cannot
be developed at Panama.
''Nine-The liabilities to seismic dis.
turbance are apparently equal.
''Ten-That Nthe strategical position of
the Ncaraguan canal in it's relation to
the United States is undoubtedly superior
to the Panama route"
PANAMA ROUTE FAVORED.
The paper Of Climaco Cal6eron, minis
ter to Colombia, was read in Spanish. 1t
was a strong argument In favor of the
Panama canal The paper declared that
there is no doubt of the necessity of an
inter-oceanic canal, and commercial and
technical Investigations have shown that