The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-12-08
NUMBER p.


Panama railroad diversion, 81, 267, go.
Total, Sis SIG
Engineering, police, sanitation and gen.
eral contingencies, S23, 10, ib3
Aggregate, Sl42 342,51y.
This estimate is capable of reduction to
S1l5.94l, ,215 If single locks and narrow
bottom are adopted. An alternative esti-
mate Is submitted, based on having the
Alhajuela dam built to imp9und the wa
ters of the upper Chagres. This estimate
ahe commission reports that the value
of the French work already done is esti-
mated at So, g3l 463.
II is estimated that the tonnage that
would use the canal will amount TO a.
Referring to the commercial advantages
OF an sthmian waterway, the report says
"As compared with Europe, the United
States will derive from the canal far
greater benefits, both commercially and
industrially The commerce of Europe
with the Pacific coast Of North, Central
and South America, under existing condl,
tons, is somewhat larger than the total
volume of the present traffic Of the Unit
ed States that may be considered tribu-
tary to the canal; but this fact does not
indicate the relative advantages whlcn
the canal will possess for the trade or
Europe and that OF the United States. As
soon as it has been opened our trade
with the west coast of South America
will rapidly increase: as ~, VIII also .se he
amount of the American commerce
through the canal will quickly surpass
the total amount Of European traffic.
AN isthmian canal will strengthen the
unity Of the national and political inter-
ests of the United States, develop its Pa
citc territory and promote the commerce
and industries Of the entire country. Ihe
benefits which Europe will derive from
the canal will be commercial. In addi-
| ton to this ours will be political ana In
! dustrial. BY bringing the eastern and
| western sections Of our country INTO
closer relations. by reducing the time and
/ cost of transporting our western products
| to Europe and by enabling the eastern.
| southern and central states to reach tne
| raw materials and markets of Pacific
| countries cheaply and expeditiously, the
| canal will more fully identify political
| and social interests and quicken the in
| dustrial activity Of every section of the
! United States.
| The iron and steel, the textiles, and
| the other manufactures of eastern and
| southern states, the coal from the min
! ing regions the cotton from the south.
| and the grain and forest products from
many sections will flow out TO foreign
/ countries In an Increasing volume, and
1 this larger trade will be shared generally
| by the ports of all our seaboards-the At
| lantic, the Gulf and the Pacinc. The
| canal will cause the competition OF the
/ United States with Europe in the coun-
tries Of western South America and the
| orient to he much keener. with the re-
| suit that the trade of our country Will
| increase more rapidly than Will that If
| our rivals The canal will aid the United
States in securing and maintaining pO-
sition Of ,priinacy in the international
trade Of the world
! The commission concludes with a care
| full comparison of the Nicaragua and
| Panama routes. 1t shows that distances
between Atlantic and Pacific ports are
| shorter by the Nicaragua than the Pana-
ma route This is in part Offset by the
increased time IN getting through tie
Nicaragua canal The latter route As re
ported to be more favorable Tor sailing
vessels. The Nicaragua route is also re-
garded as advantageous through its de-
Velopment OF the country through which
it passes. It is pointed out that the Pana-
ma concession. now held by the French
company prohibits a cession Of rights 10
4iarsa a-rarr
concession is limited, SO that II the emit
ed States acquired it. there would not DE
an absolute ownership IN perpetuity, as
the concession provides that the canal
shall pass to Colombia after 80 years.
The commission has asked President
Eutin of the French company to name
terms upon which the company will dis
pose of its property and interests to the
United States. No formal reply was re-
| CeiVed until the ouimission's report was
being closed. The report says that the
conferences have resulted in no offer to
dispose Of the property 10 the United
States upon any terms, nor had the com
pany expressed any desire to negotiate
with the United States with reference to
such disposition. II was proposed by
might obtain control OF the canal scheme
as a majority stockholder of new or
ever, to re-incorporate in the United
States, and accord to this government
such representation on its board Of di-
rectors and such purchase of interest as
its concessions permitted.
The final conclusions OF the commits
sion are stated as follows:
Il. The estimated cost of building the
Nicaragua canal is about 5000 100 more
than that of completing the Panama
canal. leaving out the cost of acquiring
the latter property. This measures the
difference in the magnitude of the obsta-
cles to be overcome in the actual con-
struction Of the two canals, and covers
all physical considerations such as the
greater or less height of dams, the great
er or less depth Of cuts, the presence or
or absence Of railroad. the exemption
from liability to disease, and the amount
OF work remaining 10 be done.
THE new Panama canal company has
shown no disposition to sell its property
tc the United States. Should that com
pany be able and willing to sell, there is
reason OF believed that the price would not
be such would make the total cost to
the United States less than that OF the
I'll The Panama canal. after connie
tion, would be shorter, have fewer Locke
and less curvature than the Nicaragua
canal The measure of these advantages
is the time required for a vessel 10 pass
through. which is estimated for an aver
age ship at twelve hours for Panama and
SS hours for Nicaragua.
| "On the other hand. the distance from
San Francisco to New York is 3S7 miles
to New orleans J79 miles and to Liverpool
So miles greater via Panama than via
Nicaragua. The time required to pass
ever these distances being greater than
the difference in the time of transit
through the canals, the Nicaragua line,
after completion. would be somewhat
more advantageous of the two to the
United States, Notwithstanding the great
er cost of maintaining the longer canal
| III. The government OF Colombia in
| which lies the Panama canal, has grant
ed an exclusive concession. which stiIl
| has many years to run. 1t is not free Ia
grant the necessary rights to the United
States, except upon condition that an
agreement be reached with the New Pan
anna Canal Co, The commission believes
that such agreement is impra cticable. So
far as can be ascertained, the company
is not willing to sell its franchise hnt il
will allow the United States to becoms
part owner of its stock. The commission
considers such an arrangement inadmis-
! sihle.
THE governments of Nicaragua and
Costa 1,ica. on the other hand are nm
trammeled by concessions and are frns
to grant the United States such DriI i
leges as may be mutually agreed upon
'ln view of all the facts, and particular
ly in view of all the difficulties of obtain
ing the necessary rights, privileges ana
franchises on the Panama route, and as
suming that Nicaragua and Costo RIca
| recognize the value of the canal to them
selves and are prepared to grant conces-
sions on terms which are reasonable and
acceptable to the United States, the COM
mission is of the opinion that The moot
practicable and feasible route for an
| iSth 10 ha ba 81