New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-26
PANAMA AND NICARAGUA.

The Government approached the subject OF
interoceanic communication from unbiased
point of view and rightly placed the examina-
ton OF the various routes In the hands Of its
navy officers. Every line from Tehuantepec TO
Atrato examined prior to 1873. with the
suit that all eliminated except Nicaragua
and Panama. Louis Napoleon had previously
desired 10 build at Nicaragua; the United States
held valuable concessions in Colombia The
Clayton Bulwer treaty was obstacle IN Me-
aragua: the distance from ocean to ocean was
short at Panama Many reasons pointed to the
desirabIIity OF the latter line. yet further COM
mission. appointed by General Grant. finally de-
cided In favor Of Nicaragua De Lesseps, con-
trary TO the opinion OF American officers and
English experts, began the Panama Canal. but
only because It could be finished at the sea level
He would not avail himself OF the United States
surveys: he made none himself before beginning
work. He would not heed our warnings. out
waved aside all objections The existing COM
pany finds these objections confirmed IN every
respect; il has had 10 resort TO lock canal.
which will be a torrent in the rainy season and
dusty In the dry. The history Of Panama dur
ing the last twenty years is part OF that OF the
French nation-of people which has permitted
a Drevfus affair TO supplement the De Lesseps
scandal Americans should be cautious in their
dealings with a scheme based on unfulhiied
nIedees and involving many thousand foreign
stockholders.
Fthe Panama Canal be feasible. why does not
the present corporation finish il? Its geograpn-
ical and climatic conditions make IL Of little ser
vice 10 Ms It's canalizatiOn is longer than that
OF the Nicaragua route: its poor roadsteads and
shallow bay will not be so serviceable as the
constructed harbors OF GreytOwn and Brfto
The lake of Nicaragua. being twice as large as
NafN an
cborages In fresh water The two vital objec-
tions to the Panama route are. first. that It has
no permanent summit supply; second that II
ve build Il We leave the more northern route
omen TO other nations who may in the future
own n canal where the distance between New
York and San Francisco would be one thousand
miles less than by way OF Panama This is
feature that has been little appreciated in the
past Are we prepared 20 have foreigners control
this inner coast line?
The NAVY examined and settled the relative
value OF the different routes thirty years ago.
The service was as accurate then with level anu
transit as it is to-day with shot and she'll the
only excuse for presenting comparisons now Is
that the opponents Of any canal are endeaVorlns
20 befos public opinion with engineering faHa-
cies long since dead. and that certain trans
continental railroad must refund its debt oefore
an iSthmian waterway anywhere can DC 'A1ON~
of All Americans should study the influences
which have prevented Congressional action rom
the days when an ex-Secretary of the Navy was
employed by the French 10 promote the Panama
Canal to the time when retired officer or inc
Army and a neted statistician lent their names
TO the same inlpracticable project The aninos.
fty of the Paelhc railways Is extremely snoI'
sighted even as the policy of the roads border,
ing on the Great Lakes toward the 500 Caha'
has been mos broad minded
After this aggression and dismiSsing the faa
anna enterprise from the discussion. let US now
return to the development of the surveys ana "
the history 81 the Nicaragua enterprise.