The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-28

has ceased to be a sectional issue. for
the most strenuous support Of the inter
oceanic canal enterprise comes from the
eastern states rather than from the Pa
elf coast. The canal is now a national
issue in every sense.
II is recognized that the never to-be
abandoned American continental policy
written into the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
by the senate is a clear demonstration
that the American people will not con-
sent to the construction of an inter
oceanic canal by the United States gov
eminent unless the canal is to be the
sole property and under the exclusive
management and control of the nation.
But there is a sudden whispered move
ment among the senator's Men who have
been heartily supporting the Nicaragua
canal bill as it stands now shake their
heads and say It viii never do to pass
the bill until it has been so amended
that President Mckinley viii have the
right to choose between the approved
Nicaragua route and the rejected Pan
anna route.
They declare that If the senate leaves
the president no discretion as to the
route Of the canal the governments Of
Nicaragua and Costa Rica can force the
United States to pay a terrific price for
their consent to an American canal on
American terms. But with power to
choose between the Nicaragua and
Panama routes, the president can COM
pei Nicaragua and Costa Rica to sur
render, on pain of losing the canal alto
gether
This is the only reason given for a
movement that cloaks the most stipend
GUS job of the century. Many who sup
port it are innocent of corrupt pur-
poses. They do not recognize the SIMS
Ter ends which the Panama canal and
Pacific railway Hobbies have in view.
The truth is that the Panama Canal
company is endeavoring to put itself in
a position to sell its now worthless stock
to m American syndicate powerful
enough to influence the Mckinley admin
fstration's choice Of a canal route, while
the Pacific railway monopoly hopes to
revive the struggle between the friends
of the two routes to see the canal en-
terprise denationalizd and to delay and
ultimately defeat it:
Every year the Pacific Railway mo-
nopOly's absolute control Of traffic
across the American continent becomes
more valuable and every year adds to
the interest which its owners have IN
delaying or preventing the construction
of a competing canal
Should the Nicara eua canal bill be 81
amended that President Mckinley would
have the authority and right to saw
which canal route should be taken. it
IS said that the new Panama Canal com
pany would De able to sell an option on
the control of its stock to a syn7i-
cate Of American fnanciers This syndi-
cate would then undertake the work OF
converting the president to the Panama
view
It is not so long since a comparative
~ 4rrrf4
istration to abandon "our plain duty" in
Porto Rico and surrender to their pri-
vate interests
The Isthmian canal commission head
ed by Admiral Walker has officially rec
commended the Nicaragua route. The
senate has drafted a treaty with Great
Britain and has declared a national pol
icy which clears the way for the work
of construction IT would seem there was
nothing more 10 do but TO arrange for
and dig the canal.
The theory that Nicaragua and Costa
Rico viii attempt to black mall The Uni
ted States has nothing more substan-
tial behind II than the suggestions cum
ningly spread about ny the Panama ca
nal and Pacific railway lobbyists. il 8
well understood by the men who have
investigated the situation that Nicara-
qua and Costa RIGA VIII yield practically
any terms asked for by the United
States
There IS something about the stealthy
movements of the Frenchmen who con-
troll the Panama canal stock that fndi-
Gates q Threading and vell-prar Oh
plot. They have vaguely talked about
getting a hundred million dolla-s from
the United states for their propert~ fu
their conferences with the Isthui- ca
pal commission they declined 10 10
themselves down TO precise terms ana
insisted that they should Become Joint
partners with the United States in the
ownershipa Of the canal
Admiral Walker and his colleagues
value The work done on the PaHam8 ca-
nal a. Ittle more than S756an n10 Had
the Panama canal directors been willing
10 sell their entire rf-1ts and -rare~tr
70 the United States for 81 ere II is
possible thai the Tstrmian canal Gems
mission might have hesitate5 Ia deciding
l1rnE q canal route