The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-12-12
The Nicaragua Route Endorsed,

The last canal commission reports in
favor of the Nicaragua route. "The
most practicable and feasible route for
an isthmian canal to be under the con-
troll, management and ownership of the
United States is that known as The
Nicaragua rou.e," says The commission.
Unlike former commissions, this one
was iutrusted with the duly OF deter
mining whether or not it might be for
the better interest of the United States
to buy the rights Of aud pay for the
work done by he Panama Company.
That vas mooled question in the dis
cussious OF tie suoject in Congress.
The Panama project haa is supporters.
IL was largely a question for profess
sionai, for expert men to determine, in
the first instance. The commercial
and financial and national branches of
the question of the route could be set
tied in Washington.
The Panama route is pronounced not
desirable because the Panama com.
pany has an exclusive concession, and
is not willing to sell. The company
will only consent that the government
of the United States should buy a GER
tain portion of its stock. The COM
mission is of the opinion that this con-
dition ought not to be accepted. Over
against the shorter Panama route and
it's lower elevations, are placed the time
saved in sailing the distance from
Colon to Greytown. The Panama
Canal would cost $50 100000 less than
one built over the route TO the North,
but the disincination of the Panama
company to sell and the impossibility
Of obtaining indispensable concessions
from Colombia lead the commission to
reject the shorter route.
On the other hand Nicaragua and
Costa RIGA will grant TO the United
States concessions that will give the
United States control of the territory
through which the canal would be
built. These concessions would be
perpetual, whereas the Panama grant
is limited to ninety-nine years and at
the end of that period the canal would
become the property of Colombia.
These conditions are fundamental.
Others are largely matters of detail or
expediency, which become the proper
subjects either of engineering skill or
OF financial expenditure, and wisdom
and enterprise, with long look ahead
into the new century, will determine
their adjustment.
For some three hundred years the
question of connecting the Atlantic with
the Pacific through the regions of Cen
trail America has been discussed; num-
berless surveys of routes have been
made and many projects, of which
Captain Eads for carrying ships over
land by railway was one, have been
preached. The time for deliberation
Oh lho mann quOoIlOu uho pdooOu, VIC
era of action has dawned. AS 10 the
days OF the long considered question of
the resumption of specie payments the
way to resume was trenchantly de-
clared to be "to resume" SO now the
way to build the canal is to build it.
The ffty-s'xth Congress, in its last
session, will probably distinguish isell
and signalize the opening of the TWEEN
tieth century by taking this view of the
long agitation, and order the construc.
ton of the canal. The time is ripe ior
action. The heat Of the war will
Spain, ending in the acquisition of the
Philippines, gave the last touches tc
the long ripening process and impaired
to this project of centuries the flush OIL
full maturity.