Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-23
NO CANAL BILL THIS SESSION.

ing II by reServing to the United States
the right to take such measures as It
may find 1t necessary to take for Sc
curing by its own forces the defense of
the United States, and the maintenance
of public order" means that no canal
bill will be passed at this session of
Congress, unless the Senate Is prepared
to stultify itself by acting before Eng
land shall have had a reasonable
time" in the diplomatic sense, for con-
sidering the amendment. England
may, of course, promptly reject the
amendment. but that is unlikely for a
number of reasons, the chief of which
is that she already has sufficient COM
plications on her hands without adding
Others
The fact that the whole question Is
now tied up, awaiting England's pleas
ure. makes clear the sinister influences
that prompted the pressure for the
ratification of the Eay-Pauncefote
treaty at this time. 1t having been
made perfectly clear at the last session
of Congress that the Senate would
never ratify that treaty in the original
form. the only way to have secured
speedy action was the STRAIGHT
FORWARD ONE OF REJECTING
THE HAY-PAUNCEFOTE TREATY
AND DECLARING THE CLAYTON
BULWER CONVENTION ABROGAT-
ED BY ENGLAND'S VIOLATION OF
1T IN 1862. The treaty, however, was
pressed and the result Is apparently the
effectual blocking of the canal project
for the present.
To be specific, the treaty was pressed
for this very purpose. and the In
fiuences responsible for it were the
trans continental and Panama canal
Hobbies. The trans continental rail-
ways are, and always have been, OPP
posed to any isthmian caral whatever.
The Panama Canal Company wishes to
sell out to the United States. The
canal commission reported in favor of
the Nicaragua route. The Panama
Company and the trans continental
railways. therefore, found themselves
in entire accord in wishing action on
canal bill postponed for the present
Treaty complications, once out of the
way. action on the canal bill could not
obvious thing TO do was to increase the
treaty complications, hence the patch
ing up and ratification of the Hay
Pauncefote convention, which should
have been rejected in toto, by the SEN
ate.
The advocates OF an American canal
have been placed in an unfortunate
position in this matter. They were
compelled to choose between u neutral
canal and no canal at all, for the pres
emit They were unalterably opposed
TO the former; they had perforce to
choose the latter; that is to say, they
found themselves compelled to vote for
the Hay Pauncefote treaty in its origi-
nal form. which meant neutral canal;
or to AmericaniZe the canal by amend
ing that treaty, which meant delay.
This became perfectly clear when the
vote was taken on the Hay -Pauncefote
convention in it's original form. NJ.
Hanna and other Senators nearest the
administration rotcd against the cOnrCn-
ton. This they did not because they
were opposed to q neutral canal. but
because they were opposed TO any canal
at ALL TO postpone is to half-defeat a
measure. Hence it was that Senators
who We're in favor of the construction
of an American canal found themselves
in company with trans continental rail
way and Panama Canal Company tools
in the Senate. These latter masquer-
AIDED as friends of an American canal
in order TO postpone action on the canal
at this session. Hence the amendment
of the Hay Pauncefote treaty, instead
of it's outright rejection.
After all. the construction Of the
canal is a large and complicated Ques-
ton. and the enemies of an isthman
canal may have done less harm than
they intended by delaying its construc-
ton.