Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-14
REED ON CANAL ROUTES

1t is well understood that to the in
fuence of eX-Speaker Reed was largely
due the failure of the Nicaragua canal
Dill III the last congress. Why he op-
posed that measure is indicated in n,
paper in the May number of the North
American Review, in which Mr.. Reed
very lucidly sets forth, from the data
available, the character of the Panama
and Nicaragua routes, as to which he
says the world has settled down upon
the belief that they are the only routes
that can be the scene of the great COM
merce which Is hoped for in the future
Mr.. Reed is not opposed to an isthmian
canal. On the contrary he regards the
construction of such Il waterway as
certain of accomplishment. THE final
result" he says, mo one can doubt.
The commerce of the world in due time
will eliminate Cape Horn to as com
plete a degree as it has eliminated the
Cape of Good Hope. The uneasy
dream of 400 years will soon be a wax
ing reality and across the rockbound
ridge which for all these years has de-
fled the ingenuity of man, the great
ships will 90, freighted with the rich
cargoes and the civilization of COM
marce and peace" But Mr. Reed de-
clares that the problem is too difficult
to be mastered by enthusiasm alone.
that sound sense and discretion must
also be called into action.
How difficult the problem is Mr. Reed
shows in an analysis of the various
plans for the construction of the Nica-
ragua canal, between which there is
wide divergence, both as to the engi-
neering work necessary and the cost.
AS to the former the difficulties seem
almost insurmountable, while in regard
to cost the estimates vary from S6J,-
100000 to S15OOOO.OOO. The lower
figures are those of the Maritime Canal
company, which everybody except per-
hapS the engineer who made them now
regards as an absurd underestimate.
Indeed the higher estimate is believed
by some to be below what the canal
would probably cost. The untrust-
worthy character of estimates of ex
penditure for an undertaking of this
kind is shown in the cases of the Suez
and Manchester canals, the former cost
ing nearly three times the amount esti-
mated and the latter 30 per cent more
than was estimated. In view of such
facts they are not unreasonable who
assert that the construction of the
Nicaragua canal would probably require
an expenditure of not less than $780,
100000.
Mr.. Reed is evidently favorably in
clined toward the Panama route, which
lie says seems to be twoIthirds exca-
vated and to be one-half finished. He
remarks as to this enterprise that its
projectors are at work now asking help
from no one, while the Grace syndicate
declare that they are ready to build the
Nicaragua canal without any govern
ment aid. "If it should be found" says
Mr. Reed, "that two canals are ready
to be built by private capital, or even
one, the neutrality of one being guar
anteed by the United States by the
treaty of 1916, and both perhaps by the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty, then we shall
have to consider what we want further
If we want canal built by the United
States government under its own con-
troll, with power TO fix discriminating
rates in favor of its own citizens, with
due fortifcatlons for time OF war, then