The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-14
SUNDAY, JANUARY Il, 1900.
The Nicaragua Canal.

The Nicaragua Canal
Nothing at the present time could be
much more satisfactory to the country than
the prospect of a serious movement in the
matter OF constructing an interoceanic ca
nal At no period since the making oil the
miserable Clayton Bulwer treaty has the
United States Government been in such a
favorable situation for undertaking work
which every consideration of political and
military policy demands should be national
in character, and territorialy and other
wise under direct Government control and
administration. Only a few days ago the
London Times in referring TO the mat
Ter. expressed the current British view in
saying that no objection to any national
action we might take would be made on
that side as the government and people
of Great Britain felt sure that the United
States would always treat British COM
merce resorting to the canal with equity
and liberality. Doubtless for the first
time since eighteen hundred and fifty. we
could now secure an Acknowledgment from
Her Maiesty's Ministry that the Clayton
Bulwer treaty has been dead and buried
for forty-odd years. for the mere asking.
The maxim, that we should make hay
while the sun shines, appears to apply very
strongly in the connection just now.
In view of the universal demand Of the
American people for the canal. and its OBJ
Tious desirability as a means OF connecting
our widely separated East and West
Coast lines, the action Thursday. of the
House Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce. in unanimously deciding to ia
Torably report the Hepburn bill. which pro-
yides for Government ownership and control
OF the Isthmian waterway, is movement of
abe greatest importance TO the country. For
one thing. it seems TO rescue the subject
from the tangle of competing private and
corporate interests. which have become
complicated and, in spots open
TO suspicion enough 10 threaten
indefinite delay in getting fin
ally down to business in the matter
1t also tends to give citizens generally some
assurance that the power of the anti-canal
Interests, which. through the most iavishly
equipped and powerful lobby in the history
of Congress, have been potent enough to
prevent action hitherto, has been broken
The unanimity OF the committees decision
pill be hailed as harbinger OF success for
the splendid enterprise with which. it is the
hope of all patriotic Americans, We are to
illustrate the greatness of our world posi-
1ion in the opening years of the Twentieth
Century.
InuInsically the Hepburn measure ap-
pears to be logical and generally admir-
able. 1t authorizes the President 10 SC
quire from Costa Rica and Nicaragua the
territory and harbors necessary for the
purposes of the canal. and then TO direct
the Secretary of War to dig it. 1t proposes !
the appropriation OF one hundred and forty
million dollars for the work. the money
20 be available as and when needed
In the face of a unanimous report, which /
TO be so must be assumed to have the !
hearty backing of the Administration, It I
IS reasonable TO expect that the anti (
canal lobby will accept its defeat and
not prosecute the fight against the projec:
any longer in the House. But this does
not mean that 1t may not work ali the
harder to defeat legislation in the Senate
II the Administration is as earnest in its
advocacy of the canal as we are glad TO
believe 1t is, the Hepburn bill should be
carried through the House in short orde.
the sooner the better. Then with plenty
OF lime ahead to meet and overturn the
devices and designs of the enemy at the
other end of the Capitol, non-partisan
combination OF Senators who have the
good and glory of the country at heart
would be practicable, and ought to be
sufficiently strong to secure the honor OF
providing for the great work to the Fifty
sixth Congress.