The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-30
The Canal.

a few days ago. when it was announced
that the Walker Commission would report
in favor of the Nicaragua Canal route and
ignore the De Lesseps ditch. it looked
very much rs If the Panama combination
had received a knockout blow. The rea-
son given for the failure of the Commits
sion TO consider the exploded French
scheme was that the officials of the
Panama Company had declined to make a
proposition of definite character.
Since the proposed action of the Com
mission became known there has been an
encouraging amount of hurrying to and
fro between Wall Street and the White
House ard much and intelligent pressure
has been brought to bear in the proper
quarter to secure an executive injunction
which should compel Admiral Walker and
his colleagues to reopen the case and give
Panama a pleasant send-of. NJ. Maurice
Hutin is the funeral director general of
the De Lesseps remains, and he has been
more than energetic in attempting to
stem the tide that sets SO strongly against
his procession. He has succeeded to the
extent that consideration of the Panama
proiect-now controlled by close friends
OF The Adminstration-has been written
into the report OF the Commission. NJ.
Hutin is TO have heart talk
with Secretary Hay today. and il the
former can demonstrate ability to make n
deal satisfactory to Lord Pauncefotc and
Lord Salisbury. perhaps some hing active
may be Gone for him when Congress
meets.
We must not forget that the failure of
the Panama scheme. complicated by the
monumental rascaiity which marked every
step OF the enterprise, renders II nm I'M
safe thing for anybody TO touch. unless he
have the unlimited resources of great
Government; AT his command But. given
that. there Is probably far more easy
n,eaey In it Tor the manipuiators and con-
tractors than there would be In the Mica
sssaa Canal, There are all soris OF out
standing securities, leans, aad other debts
e4 various Kinds Of the Panama concern.
!. has pretended sSSsts and alleged work
completed Anors these iangles il need
set - aireats for a syndicate. property
supported by the nation. 10 make away
With q great nisns niiliieas. In buying up
ssecS and hoadS-ioaH,less now deposited
sse.,en AsTe under op;ion-in getting paid
3 second time for work already done. and
in handling the old junk row hanging 10
the reca o; the corpse. This men who have
taken ever the old eadaver- are of the kind
who know their business. ard their c.nch
q the Administration and Congress. Theirs
is one Of the campaign debts which must
be paid il possible. Not that they are set
ting about its collection in e niggardly
spirit. They understand that job with
so mary cocl millions in it. TO be squeezed
out without effort. Is not to be pushed
through Congress on any ifteen-cea lunc.
ard thank-you basis, They are prepared
to astonish the natives with their ideas
OF convincing eloquence and boundless hos
pitality. All they ask is that the Admin
istration shall put the screws on and help
them. Expense Is no object, but results
Gre
We do not see how Mr.. Mckinley can
well avoid assisting Mr. Hanna's friends
trouble to pick up the right to buy The cd
ditch at small price. after disposiLg OF
it at large one. and it is not to be de- |
MED that some public characters are very |
anxious to see the difference made The !!
Panama syndicate, as We understand. is |
not especially wild to build the canal, or |
any canal; but would be cheerfully will |
ing to undertake the spending of the hun
dred and fifty millions which, 1t Is es:i- |
mated, 1t would take 10 construct an |
isthmian waterway. The chance should be
extended to these entcrprising gentlemen.
Their plans were well advertised TO the
country before the election. and. appar-
emily, approved by the people at the polls. |
an issue and a winning one, of course.
The President would hardly be showing
due Difference to the means and mon that
elected him, were he to turn the re-
frigerated shoulder upon the Panama job
bers That they will have hard time 10
pull through, even with the whole power
of the Executive behind them We can
readily believe. but that with it and a
benevolent Willingness to divide their
prosperity with the deserving. they are
at all in danger of falling we are DIS
posed to deny. Panama canals come very
high, and particularly SO this year. but
they may be had If one is willing to PRO-
duce the necessary arguments in green