The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-12-05
A TREATY is SIGNED.
Rights and Privileges Required for
Nicaraguan Canal Secured.
IS A NEUTRAL REPORT.
Preliminary Report of Isthmian
Canal Commission Submitted
to the President.

Washington, d. c., Dec. 1.-Secretary
Hay this morning for the government
of the United States and Senior Correa,
the Nicaraguan minister for his own
government, signed a treaty whereby the
latter government comedies to the gov
eminent of the United States the neces-
sary rights and privileges within her be-
stowal for the construction Of the Mica
raGuan canal.
This action is taken in anticipate of
congressional action upon the. pending
Nicara guam canal bill and the Hay
Pauncefote treaty Pending the submits
sion of the treaty to the Senate, which
body must ratify the agreement, its terms
will not be made public. 1t is under
stood, however, that generally Nicaragua
grants to the United States government
the exclusive right to construct and oper-
ate the canal between the Atlantic and
Pacific across Nicaragua, including the
free use Of the San Juan river and of
Lake Managua as part of the water
course.
Nicaragua is also to rid herself of any
outstanding treaties that would tend in
any way to abridge the privileges to be
derstood also that Nicaragua comedies to
the United States full authority to po-
lice the canal. Nicaragua is to receive
i'll compensation a certain amount of the
securities of the canai construction COM
pany, and although it is not possible now
to learn the figure set down in the treaty,
it is believed to approximate $4,000 900.
President Has the Report.
The preliminary report of the Isthmian
canal commission has been completed
and is now in the hands of the President
1t was given to him shortly before 5
O'Clock yesterday afternoon by Admiral
Walker, the president of the commission.
Despite efforts to keep its contents Sc
cret, it is learned from reliable sources
that it is neutral report. 1t makes no
recommendations as to which route
should be selected. 1t says that, al
though surveys have been made of 9th
er routes, the only two really worth
considering are the so-called Mica
ragua and Panama routes. OF these
the commission, after a careful consid-
GRAFTON of the merits of each. finds it
self unable to say which is the better
for the United States. From ali engi-
neerlng and physical standpoint the COM
mission finds that each of these routes is
equally feasible. The report, therefore,
sets out in impartial fashion the advan-
tages and disadvantages of each, leaving
Congress to make the decision as to
which canal it will build
The report also states that it will be
impossible for the United States TO ac-
qulre absolute ownership and control of
either route. Diplomatic and constitu-
tional difficulties stand in the way in Nj
caragua and Costa Rica, and the Pana
ma company desires to retain an interest
in its canal
Must be OF Large Dimensions.
The commission recommends that
whichever canal be constructed it should
be built with a view to accommodate not
only the large vessels now afloat but
also the still larger ones that may be
constructed within the next ten years,
before the canal will be ready to be
used. 1t therefore recommends a
canal considerably larger than any pre-
vious one contempla ted either in Nicara-
qua or Panama. 1t suggests that it's
depth should not be less than 50 feet and
it's width not less than $50 feet in it's mar
rowest part.
The report indicates that double locks
capable of taking in a steamship over
100 feet in length will be necessary, and
says that four of these locks will be re-
CURED on the Panama route and six on
the Nicaragua route.
The report estimates the cost of the
Nicaragua canal as thus enlarged at APP
proximately $175,000,OO0; to complete
the Panama canal, enlarging it to the d.
mansions suggested. it is estimated that
it will cost about $145, 100000.