The record-union., 1899-10-25
IN The INTEREST
OF COMMERCE.
Yesterdays Session OF the Inter
national Congress
Devoted to Discussion Of Papers on Sub
jeGt of Isthmian Waterways.
An Interesting Paper Prepared by
Minister Merry of Costa Rico
on the Nicaraguan Canal Read
Before the Convention.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct 24.-To-d days
session of the International CONNER
cial Congress was devoted to the dis
cuSsion of canals, and several valuable
papers We're read on the subject or
isthmian waterways. James c. Mon
Afghan, United States Consul at CHM
initz, presided. Among those who ad-
dressed the delegates were ]. B. Calvo,
Costa Rican Minister to the United
States: Climaco Colderon, Colombian
Minister; Lewis F. Corea, Nicaraguan
Minister; H. A Gudger, United States
Consul at Panama: Enrique Wulff,
Consul General of Bolivia; G. w. Hum
phrey of Colon, William P. Reeves of
New Zealand, Sir Horace Tozer of
Queensland, and J. B. Johnson of Min
neSota.
There was also an open discussion of
of the Isthmian Canal. -.
Mr.. Monaghan, in opening the session,
said that Germany has now a vost
system of canals and that her example
had been emulated by Russia. IF the
Nicaraguan Canal is built" he said,
there can be no question that there
will be saving to the world equal TO
four hundred million dollars a year
Suppose, then, it does cost 500, ,0Oo,-
COO, this seems to me to be a mere
bagatelle by comparison. The waters
which once divided the nations of the
earth have now become the golden ties
which unite them, and the greatest pos
sibility open to human ingenuity and
enterprise is that construction of such
works as this great Nicaraguan water
way"
H. A. Gudger United States Consul
at Panama, spoke in favor of the route
contemplated by that canal. In con-
clusion he said: After careful sur
vey of the field, / believe the time is
ripe for the purchase by the United
States of the control of this canal"
At the afternoon session the Mic
aragua Canal was the subject of a pa
per read by Juan J. Ulloa, Consul Gen
eral of Costa Rica at New York, and a
former Vice President of Costa Rca.
DR.. Ulloa said the practicability of the
canal is beyond question, and that it
must be dug by the Government of the
United States in preference to private
enterprise.
In the unavoidable absence of Min
paper on the Nicaraguan Canal was
read by Francis Tracy Tobin of this
city Mr. Merry, in summing up his
paper, says:
1T is suggested that this short and
imperfect paper satisfactorily demon
strates the following points:
''First-That the sanitary conditions
are more favorable at Nicaragua as
against those at Panama
"Second-That the Nicaraguan Canal
will, on the whole, save greater dis
tances.
'"Third-That the Nicaragua route is
available for sailing vessels, while that
of the Panama is practically available
only for steamships.
''Fourth-That the facilities for con-
struction are the most favorable at
Nicaragua.
"Fifth-That it has material for con-
struction and for food supply which are
lacking at the Panama Isthmus.
HSixth-That the supply of lockage
water between gravity is superabund-
ant at Nicaragua and doubtful at Pam
anna
'Seventh-The cost of operation viii
not materially differ
"Eighth-The Nicaragua Canal will
have a local earning capacity which
cannot be developed at Panama
''Ninth-The liability to siesmic dis
turbances are apparently equal.
'Tenth-That the strategical position
of the Nicaragua Canal in its relation
to the United States is decidedly SUI
perior to the Panama route"
The paper of Climaco Calderon. Min
lister to Colombia, was read in Spanish.
1t was a strong argument in cavor of
the Panama Canal
Colonel G. L. Pearcy, former United
States Consul at Colon, spoke briefly
but forcefully in favor of the Panama
project.