Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-16
REPORT ON ISTHMIAN CANAL
CONCLUSIONS OF THE SENATE COM
MITTEE PRESENTED.
Strong Objection Raised to Putting
the Matter on to the Next Ses-
sion of Congress-.

The Senate committee on fnterOceanlc
canals today, through its chairman, Sem
ator Morgan. presented its written report
upon the Nicaragua canal bill The report
| includes the statements of Admiral Walker
and other members of the commission ap-
pointed to investigate the various routes
for an interoceanic canal, and also the con-
clusions of the committee with reference to
both the Nicaragua and the Panama routes.
The committee takes strong position
against the proposition to build the canal
via Panama, and to pay for the work al
ready done by the French. The declaration
is made that the Panama company is prac-
tically without assets except those included
in the Panama railroad.
"They say, says the report, they have
assets that a committee of experts has val
ued at S.OOOO.O0O. They make no offer or
suggestion as to what they would take for
it. The lowest sum at which they estimate
the cost of completing their canal is $95,
Wo,Oo0. So that in entering that combine
We would go in on the basis of S1SJ.OUO, 900
for the completed canal on the plan of three
levels. if that plan is adopted, against Si3S.-
uD,0Do. which is the highest estimate any
engineer has placed on the Nicaragua
canal The difference is S4I, 100000 in favor
of Nicaragua
Opposed to Further Delay.
The committee takes position against
holding the pending bill until the Walker
commission can report. saying: "All the
commissions field work is done and all
the working parties have returned to the
United States except party of hydrog
raphers left there to ascertain the rain
fall and the fluctuations of the Chagre:;
river. If this photographic work is to be
prosecuted hereafter as long and as thor
oughly as it has been heretofore, it will be
half century before we can determine the
practicability of the Panama canal, so far
as it depends on the rainfall and the f1uc
tuations of the Chagres river If it is an
unsOlved problem now. ii will be quite as
indeterminate fifty years from now.
What possible new effect can be given
to these facts or taken away from them by
party of men set to watch the fuctua-
tions of the Chagres river from now until
December. when Admiral Walker says his
report will be ready? 1t is evident that
the report to be made by these hydrog
raphers is not vital factor in the ques-
tion of the practicabiity of the canal
Course of the Engineers.
Our engineers have come to no conclu-
sion the points of difficulty and have
relegated the decision of the whole matter
to the French engineers, to be determined
by further experiments. When these en-
gineers are in possession of all the facts
that are known and are not able to deter
mine the level at which the canal shall be
built, If we wait until they have settled
this vital point We put ourselves at their
mercy and only provide for the wants
of own government and people when
they have decided what is best for their
own interests.
Congress owes a higher duty than this
to the American people.
Should Select Nicnrnguan Route.
On the general question of the construc-
ton of a canal the committee takes the po-
sition that whatever canal Is constructed its
ownership mus. be American. and that de-
lay may be fatal to the success of the en-
terprise. 1t is argued by the committee
tnat delay in construction cannot possibly
advance the settlement of any question as
to the canal after its completion. The COM
mittee therefore. announce their conclu-
sion to be that Congress should provide
means and authority for constructing
canal by the Nicaragua route and leave it
to the President to deal with any questions
of a diplomatic sort that may be raised by
other nations in the progress of the work
After the bill becomes law it is declared
to be first duty to agree with Nicaragua
to terms, leaving to the future all deal
inss with other powers as to the privileges
they shall enjoy in the canal.