The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-09
4 Chat of the Capital
4 Washington Gossip, Poatisai aui Other
! wise, for the Readers Of the diobe.

WASHINGTON, Feb. s. Especial y
The treaty just negotiated by Secretary
Hay, involving the Nfcaraguan canal
and the opposition which has developed
in the senate have served to call public
attention once more to the canal project.
The proposed route OF the canal, as Is
we'll known, is from a point near Grey
town, on the Caribbean sea, by the way
of Lake Nicaragua, to Boito, on the Pa
cific ocean. The construction, If under
taken, will be under the supervision of
the United States war department, and
an appropriation of $40 100000 will be
necessary, IL not more money, to COM
plete it. 1t Is question whether or not
this government will gain anything from
this great expenditure, and there are ex-
perts who have figured on this question.
together with the Suez, canal, one of
these being Joseph Nimmo Jr. A recent
publication shows that, according to Mr..
Nimmo, the distance from New York to
Manila, via the SueZ canal, Is II, 565 nau-
teal miles, and via the Nicaragua canal
1,746 miles. From London to Manila, via
the Suez canal, the distance is 5000 miles;
via the Nicaragua canal, 1850 miles.
The actual distance therefore from New
York to Manila Is ISL miles less by the
Suez route than by the Nicaragua canal,
while the distance from London to Ma
Mia Is $3.50 miles less by the Suez canal
than by the Nicaragua route. THE
Suez CANAL as Mr.. Nimmo points out,
SIS sea level route, while the Nicara-
qua route involves 220 feet of lockage."
Taking all things into consideration,
therefore, says Mr.. Nimmo, "it Is be-
yond question that the Suez route has
an equivalent advantage of fully 1000
miles over the Nicaragua or Panama
route, with respect to all trade between
the Atlantic Seaboard of the United
States and the far East; and that 1t has
an equivalent advantage of 5000 miles
over either the Nicaragua or the Pana-
ma route in the trade of all Europe with
the far East" 1t would seem therefore
that the people of the United States are
expected to pay handsomely for the priv
ilege Of sending American products
through an interoceanfc canal built and
owned by the United States.
As before stated, 1t is not at all likely
that the government can complete the
canal for s140, 000, 900, and some of the op-
ponents of the measure go so far as to
say that it will take upwards of $500, 0O0,-
900 to carry the plan through to sue
cesSful issue. That such measure will
be beneficial to the Pacific coast goes
without saying. but whether or not it
will be Of like benefit to the Atlantic
coast is something that the future only
can decide, provided the bill goes through
and the necessary money Is contributed
by the government to make the project
success. ~
The story circulated here and in other
cities by prominent politicians that Col
Roosevelt, the present governor of New
York. will make the best running mate
for Maj. Mckinley in the coming cam
paign is. without doubt, being given con-
Sjd arg nv rtafn
the wish to nominate Roosevelt Is father
to the thought, especially with such men
as Senator Platt, who wants TO get rid of
the man he cannot handle successfully
as governor of New York. The only addi-
ticnal news in the rumor is that If Roose-
welt is forced to take the vice presidential
nomination this year 1t will certainly side
track him for first place in 1904, and this
will leave an opening for some candidate
west of the Mississippi river In the event
that such a course Is pursued by the
delegates to the Philadelphia convention,
the West would certainly attempt to
make a deal In favor Of some favorite son
four years later. Should the nomination
be conceded to the West, as 1t will be if
Roosevelt is taken out of the way, it Is
believed by the friends of Cushman X.
Davis that he would loom up as presi-
Dental possibility, and in the event that
ton from Minnesota, and in addition
thereto other delegations from the North
western states, he would go to the con-
vention in 1904 with enough strength
probably to win out from all competitors.
1t is not conceded, however, that he will
have an easy time In winning a nomina
ton, for the reason that the far West
coast might not be willing to consent to
the nomination of a man 50 far East as
st. Paul. AS chairman of the senate COM
mittee en- foreign relations Mr.. Davis is
almost as prominent liz an official way
as the chief executive of the nation. He
will be chairman of this committee for
four years longer. and If he is vigorous
man mentally and physically in 1904 there
Is no reason, his friends here say, why
he would not make just as good a candi-
date as any Of the other men who are
now seeking to capture the Republican
nomination four years hence.
j. 8. Van Antwerp.