Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-09
A N FOR NOTHING.

A " FUk NUtti!NGs
The United States are offered a great big
1sthmus canal, made in good ship shape,
and to have exclusive use of in time
of war, without paying or being held re-
sponsible for a single cent of its cost.
This is how it came about that the offer
was made: The Nicaragua canal scheme
being s~ide-tracked for this year, at least,
the company of which not a few eminent
French capitalists form a part, has Of
fered to his country the old Panama
route across the isthmus, which is al
ready in quite an advanced stage of
completion. more than two-fifths of it
being constructed.
An entirely new company was organ
lied in 1894. which took hold of the enter
prise as a purely commercial PROPOSE
ton. Before the new took up
the abandoned scheme it organized what
is known as the international Engineer
ing commission. This commission was
composed of noted engineers of England,
the United States, Russia, Germany and
France lis purpose was to investigate
thoroughly the condition of the canal. 1t
studied and inspected the work for three
years, and the report of its investigation
and conclusions are in the hands Of Pres
ident Mckinley.
General Henry L. Abbott also thor
interests of this country. He reported
that in his opinion the Panama route is
the one to choose, even if the question of
competition were not involved. But he
holds tina If the two canals-the Nicara-
qua and the Panama-be built the pre-
rendering proportion of wCuld
choose the shorter route. Tbs promoters
Of the Panama canal have lately been to
Washington and presented their plans
the members of the river and har-
Dor committee. The director general of
the enterprise was studiously partic-
ular to impress upon the committee |
the people of the United States
the fact that the present company |
has no relation whatever to the old Pan
company, Of which De Lesseps was
leading spirit, and has no inheritance
from il. The present is an entirely new
company.
Now this is the proposition this new
company makes to this government: 1t
does not call upon this country to put a
cent into the construction of the canal.
1t asks for nothing of value. All the
company asks Of this country is for it
to abandon the Nicaragua project Sc
there may be no competition of canals.
If this government shoul adopt the
Panama route the company promises to
re-incorporate under the laws of New
York, or Of any other state in the Union,
and vest its concessions and rights in
the new corporation.
Thus it appears no money would be
required of the United States, the pres
ent stockholders agree to furnish the
funds for the building of tine canal, and
give this country the exclusive right to
use the canal in time of war. This looks
all fair, though the proposition of the
! may have concealed somewhere
a stalwart cable attachment which lands
in the domain of the promoters of the en-
terprise. However, nothing deceptive
or crooked appears upon the face of the
offer to this country. The proposition
may have something to do with the side
tracking of the Nicaragua scheme until
the matter may be thoroughly ~investi-
gated by this government.
Let it be said on behalf of Ex-Governor
| Joseph *. Toole and Major Maginnis that
they acted throughout the late senatorial
oo,+,-. ,,.;+L norfaot 5iopitv op5 o1,,;r-