The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-18
HEPBURN BILL IS FAVORED.
UNITED STATES SHOULD CONTRon
NICARAGUA CANAL.


This Country-our Growth in the
West Makes Need for the Canal
Imperntive-Questio of Cost and
| Concessions.
| Washington. ~Feb. 17.-Chairman Heps
| burn of The House Committee on Inter~
state and Foreign Comerce to-day subs
mitted the report of the committee i'm
favor of the Hepburn bill for constructs
| ing the Nicaragua canal. The repors
says, in part:
III the provisions OF the bill can be
carried out the United States will. wItnirr
few years (from six to eigh) be In
| full ownership and control OF a water
way connecting the oceans. that 1t cnu
defend and that II can use i'm the interests
Of its navy and Of It's merchant marines
as wisdom may dictate
There seems to be but little doubt that
the states of Nicaragua and Costa Rica
will give their consent for the construc-
ton OF this great work"
After reviewing the several surveys the
report continues;
"These reports above referred to, tha
| opinions OF the engineers and scientists
believed to be entirely competent for their
work justify your committee in recom-
mendlng the undertaking of the enterprise
os one that Is entirely practicable, and
that can be completed for sum of moneys
the expenditure of which will be wise.
Cost of Canal and Income.
ut Is true that the estimates of cose
are variable, ranging as they do from less
than sl0,oOO0Oo to a possible $4,000 600.
1t is, however. proper to say that ths
size and character of the canal estimated
for is as variable as is the cost. Fifteen
feet depth and fifty feet width was the
size of the earlier project. Thirty feet
depth and 100 feet wide are the dimen-
sions of the later proposed canal.
'Your committee suggests in discussing
the cash remuneration that will come to
the United States from the ownership of
this canal, estimates can only be made
| Gentlemen connected with the Maritime
| Coal Company gave Il as their opinion
that 100000 or 6O00.000 of tonnage would
| be the amount that would pass through
| the canal annually. At present $1.55 per
| ton Is the toll charged for the use of the
Suez canal. II that rate was the rate
charged at the Nicaragua canal and 4,0OO,-
600 be the tonnage passing through II, an
| aggregate sum of more than $1,000, 600
would be the receipts. 1t is estimated that
| the cost of maintaining and operating the
canal would be s1.O00OO0 annually.
b. As to Concessions.
"Your committee are aware that there
| are number of persoDs who claim to-
| have concessions from the government OF
| Nicaragua and Costa Rlca, investing them
with rights to navigate the San Juan river
| and Lake Nicaragua. Others claim to be-
/ authorized to construct this great water
| NAV annpp0finp the N IL be-
| lieved by your committee that these rights
| have either laDsed or are OF inconsider-
| able value, or have been obtained for spec
ulative purposes. However this may be-
1t should be the purpose of the govern
| ment to deal directly with the govern
| ments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica; those
| governments can adjust all questions
| growing out of these concessions much
more easily than the United States.
| 1--WE want our share OF the worlds COM
| merce, and to secure It we must have all
| the utilities that are possible. Nor can
| we expect 10 get our share without ferce
| struggles, There is now the most intense
| rivalry for this commerce on the part on
| commercial nations. And our rivals will
| use all political and commercial influences
| and diplomacy with all of its arts, menac-
ing perhaps to drive US out of the field.
The CInyton-BuIver Treaty.
There are persons who say that we are
bound by treaty stipulations with the gov-
| ernment of Great Britain TO refrain from
| carrying out this great enterprise. This
| statement we do not believe. We recog-
nze the fact that fifty years ago the
| United States and Great Britain entered
Into an alliance to secure the building OF
| the Nicaragua canal. Any person who dis
| passionately studies carefully that treaty
| must ccme to the conclusion that the pri-
mary stipulations In the Clayton-Bulwer
| Convention looked to the immediate build
] fpr ~ aapdar Tho ipf1iIappo that
| might be exerted by the two governments.
| rather than to prohibition of either to
| build It,"
After quoting the treaty tte report goes
| on:
mo one can read that article without
| concluding that the Nicaragua canal con-
| templated was an undertaking early to be
| completed through the kindly aid of ihe
| two governments Great Britain has ui-
| lowed fifty years to elapse without any
| movement on her part to carry out the
provisions of that article. 1t has been
dead letter from the day the treaty was
signed to the present time.
| situation Has Changed.
'The last fifty years has wrought a re-
| markable change in our relations 70 a
| waterway crossing the isthmus Eighteen
| hundred and fifty was only four years re-
moved from our first occupation OF Cali
1 fornia. Not more than 10000 inhabitants
| were on the Pacific coast. Our coastwise
| trade with that coast was insignificant I'm
value and amount Now we have millions
OF citizens living on that coast. We have
hundreds OF millions of commerce; we
have thousands of millions OF wealth. We
have acquired Alaska, Hawaii, the Phil
ippines. There Is no comparison between
the meager interests of fifty years ago
and the colossal interests Of to-day. The
situation has so changed the interests OF
our people now and then are so diverse,
| lty Of rocpApAintcr thnGA
changed conditlonssare so overwhelming
ttat the most censorous of those who lead
ia the formation of the worlds judgment
would say that our present action must
be In harmony with these new condi tons.
| rather than the old. There Is law OF
self preservation that should control the
action OF the communities, no less thar
| Of individuals
"Irrepcalsble statutes are not tolerated.
! Even the most solemnly enacted ccnstitu-