The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-25
WHICH CANAL ROUTE!
Commercial Congress at Phil
adeIphia Has This Up.
PANAMA VS.. NICARAGUA
Latin-AmericanS Join Earnest
Iy in the Debate.

was devoted to the discussion Of canals,
and several valuable papers were read on
the subject of isthmian waterways.
James c. Monaghan, United States con-
sui at Chimnitz, presided. Among those
who addressed the delegates were ]. B.
Calvo, Costa Rican minister to the Unit
ed States; Climaco CaIderon, Colombian
minister; Lewis F. Corea, Nicaraguan
minister; H. A. Gudger, United States
consul at Panama; Henrique Wulff, con-
sui general of Bolivia; J. w. Humphrey
Of Colon; William Pember Reeves of New
Zealand; Sir Horace loser of Queens
land, and J. R. Johnson Of Minnesota
There was an open discussion Of the
isthmian canal. Mr.. Monaghan in open
ing the session, said that Germany now
has vast system of canals, and that
her example had been emulated by Rus
STA. "Once the Nicaragua canal is built
he said, there can be no question but
! that it will be q saving to the world
equal to four hundred million dollars a
year. Suppose, then, it does cost $780,
| 000, 900. This seems to be a mere bagatelle
by comparison The waters which once
divided the nations of the earth have now
become the golden link which unites
them, and the greatest possibility now
open to human ingenuity and enterprise
! is the construction of such works as this
| great Nicaraguan waterway"
Mr.. 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 Pan
ANA, he said, insured to its people all the
benefits of proximity as the nearest
| neighbor, whichever of the two places the
route might ultimately traverse. But,
| he continued 1.-The Costa Rica 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 estab-
lished by recent surveys but which is
we'll known since the very days of Vasco
Nunez de Bilboa."
He then sketched the history of the
isthmian canal project from its inception
to its present status. Costa Rica," he
asserted, realizes the Importance of this
work, the. most transcendental perhaps,
undertaken in this age, and contributes
| to encourage it, consulting ner own inter
est and the impulse to be derived from
it by the general progress of the world,
and especially of the nations of this con-
tinent."
| H. A. Gudger, United States consul at
| Panama. spoke in favor of the rome
| contemplated by that canal ami said
] holt
been the. conceded natural way, result
| ing in failure after the expenditure Of
| many millions and the many scandals
connected with it He favored the com
pletion of the same route on the grounds
that it is the natural course, that cne-
third Of it is already completed, al a
! new company composed Of men of nroblty
! has taken the place of the old CONF any
and its scandals. In conclusion he said:
| after a careful survey Of the field, I be-
lieve that the time is ripe for the pur-
| chase by the United States of the control
| of this canal. The terms of the conees-
sions by which we may obtain it are lib
eral and it is my opinion that the Re-
public of Colobia would hail with pleas
ure the ownership of this route by the
| United States"
II. Sell of London, read a paper on
''The New Trade Routes of the World.
| He favored the construction of the Pan
ANA canal. J. w Humphreys Of Colon.
! also spoke In its favor. A paper prepared
by Enrique Wulff consul general Of Bo-
| Iivia made a similar recommendation.
At the afternoon session the Nicar-
/ aguan canal was the subject of paper
read by Juan ]. Ulloa consul general Of
/ Costa Rica at New York. and former
/ vice president of Costa Rica. DR.. Ulloa
| said in part: 1T seems unnatural, not TO
say ridiculous. that such trife as cut
| ting through a few yards of land should
| compel the giant of commerce 10 go
around Cape Horn. The canal must dug
( by the government of the United States
! in preference to private enterprise, be-
! cause it will better serve commerce and
I the general public thus. One Numbered
/ and twenty-five million dollars taken by
yearly installments will not make Uncle
Sam feel much poorer. and will undoubt-
( edly be his must profitable investment,
! because he will succeed I cutting down
! greatly the transportation and freight
/ rates. and will open TO his countrymen
/ the best markets for Central and South
/ America and the East The pracucability
/ of the Nicara qua canal IS beyond ques-
| ton. in preferring this route, because of
the many natural advantages, because Of
| the richness Of the land. and because Of
| the superiority of the climate over that
! Of Panama The San Juan river and
! Nicaragua lake diminish considerably the
/ land through which excavation must be
/ made and the magnificent lake is in itself
I a veritable acquisition. From the report
! Of Rear Admiral Walkers canal commits
I sion. as well as that OF Colonel Ludlow,
+ II will be seen that the entire cost OF the
! canal VIII be under sl35.00)005. which Is
a small sum when we consider the result
which will be obtained
Mt Rortheram. delegate from Mel
! bourne. said anything which would has
I ten the transit OF goods from one coun-
/ try 10 another would confer a blessing
upon both the producer and the con-
1 sumer Uncle Sam is getting along q
little late as q iand-grabber compared
with the activity OF his progenitor." he
said. But he IS just now beginning 10
catch Up, and he should hurry up in this
question OF connecting his new posses
! sions in the east with his states in the
| west. The politicians should not be al
lowed TO stand in the way of this great
inter-oceanic canal scheme The mer-
chant princes and manufacturers or
America should compel the politicians TO
do their duty"
In the unavoidable absence OF Minister
( [. I. Merry OF Costa Rica. his paper on
the Nicsragslan canal was read BY Fran
-fs T-ar-y -Trfs- ~ +hFe -r--- ~ .r,----