The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-16
The Only Possible Canal.

In the House OF Representatives on w eu-
nesday Mr.. Adamson of Georgia exactly ex-
pressed the sentiments of this journal
when he said: The only canal our Cow
eminent desires. can get, or could afford
to construct is one exclusively owned,
controlled. fortified. and defended by ire
United States" For some mysterious rea-
son that is a kind of waterway which the
Mckinley Administration, as well as the
British Foreign Office, is inexorably I'M
willing We should have. Both at the
White House and In the State Department
there is every evidence OF a stern resolve
that if the American people are to be al
lowed to build and pay for Nj ,aragGa
Canal. permission is only to be had at
the price of British control of the work
when completed. and the surrender of the
Monroe Doctrine.
The Administration authorities are not
even willing 10 accept the glittering gem
crafty of Senator Davis amendment,
which. while no doubt in the right direc-
ton, is mostly rattle. The State Depart
ment is energetic in pushing out unofficial
Information to the effect that it would
be useless to ratify the treaty as amended,
because it would be then promptly rejected
By Lord Salisbury. And we are continu-
ally hearing from the same source that
rejection by England means the revivifica-
ton of the Clayton Bulwer Treaty, which,
as we have shown beyond dispute, never
had any legal or binding existence, owing
to the failure of Secretary Clayton TO SUBJ
nit it in its final form TO the Senate for
action.
The sort of canal We shall have If We
ever have any is well described in the
words of Mr.. Adamson. The Hay Paunce-
fote variety of ditch, instead of a blessing,
would be a source of weakness and posi-
tive menace TO the United States. 1t would
be seized and occupied by Great Britain on
the first convenient occasion. Within a
few years a pretext would be found to grab
Nicaragua. as British Honduras was grab
bed, and Egypt. Cyprus. Malta and Gibral-
tar. Show us the great international ia
cility or naval or trade base that is not
British or under British guns. From our
Puget Sound shore We can look into their
muZzles, and so we can almost from the
beach al St. Augustine. It is well for bret!t-
rem to dwell toge ther in peace and amity;
also for the lion and the lamb to lie down
together But England always avails her
self of such dull piping times" to get
ready for war. as George Washington ad-
vised us to. The great fortress at Esqui-
malt with its line of sixteen disappearing
batteries is not put there to throw plum
puddings across TO US of Christmas Day.
Those elaborate works spread over
the West Indies are confessedly
addressed to the future isthmian canal
which we are expected to build and pay
for. but which we are also forbidden TO
fortify or defend. No unpleasant word
must be said to Great Britain concerning
these defensive and to us intensely often
siye military investments Of our American
coasts. The Administration which can
look approvingly on the British proceed
ings at Esquimalt. will not brook the
thought Of asking the mildest kind of a
question as to what this row OF siege and
dynamite guns pointed at US without
seeming necessity. may mean. Our rulers
are peculiar in the!~ policies and meth
DDS: but probably they know what they are
about. If the object of the Hay-Pauncefote
Treaty were to give life TO the Clayton
Bulwer Treaty, and thus make an Ameri-
can canal impossible. one can see a valua-
BILE consideration in the arrangement For
the people of this country will never con-
sent TO anything but an American canal,
and. should that be impracticable. would
20 without any. Such consummatlon, If
assured, would be worth millions to the
Hanna campaign box