The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-30
'FAv0RS PANAMA FOR CANAL.
HON. PERRY NJ. DeLEON SPEAKS OF
ITS ADVANTAGES.

Consul General to Ecuador Thinks
the Nicaragua Route Is Not to Be
Compared With That Tried by De-
Lesseps-The Great French Scandal
Has Had TO Do With the Ill Repute
of the Panama ProJect-Its Bad
Name Has Chung to It-Mr. DeLeon
Proposes Sea Level Canal From
Colon to Panama.
Mr.. Perry M. DeLeon, consul general
to Ecuador, favors a Panama canal,
rather than one over the proposed Mica
ragua route. Mr.. DeLeon was seen yes
terday for his views upon the canal
question.
"Give a dog a bad name and you
might as we'll kill him is applicable"
said Mr.. DeLeon, "to other things as well
as the unfortunate cur as is illustrated
by the Panama canal The slough of
corruption, into which the weak and I'M
fortunate Charles de Lesseps plunged
the company both temporarily paralyzed
the work and cast a black shadow over
it as well as the reputation of his grand
old sire. whose name and fame will en-
dure as long as his great world work, the
5uez canal. For number of years the
canal, to use a Clevelandism, was in
state of 'innocuous desuetude' and the
world regarded it as an abandoned ditch,
a monument of political veniality and
bourgeois credulity. but some years since
a new company was formed out of the
debris of the old and fresh capital put
into the enterprise, principally by French
banks and bankers.
Work was resumed under honest, eco
nomical and intelligent direction, and
when l first saw the Isthmus in 1897,
found over 5000 laborers at work and
steady progress being made. I spent four
days on the Isthmus. going over the line
and gathering information from Ameri-
can, French and other engineers, which
I embodied in an article, with maps, IL,
Illustrations, etc., unfortunately lost in the
mails before being published.
THE opinion I expressed then, based on
that of men of acknowledged engineering
and business ability, still adhere to, to-
wit: That the United States should pur-
chase the canal from the French govern
pany, abandon the present scheme of a
lock canal and build one on sea level.
This, am assured by an engineer who
was chief assistant to Gen. Newton in
the He'll Gate work, is perfectly feasible,
the only question involved being the addi-
tonal COO or more a sea level canal
would require. The great problems in
volveQ in the work, cutting down and
through Cubbra the Andacan barrier,
which barred the way, and curbng the
Chagres river when on its annual ram
page, he regarded as solved or easy of
solution, and this view of the case dis
tinguished American engineer endorses.
IF this is true as it doubtless is, the
objections urged against the Panama by
its enemies are all without force. For
my part, although 1 speak as layman,
l. am satisfied Cubbran can be cut
through to a sea level depth, without Sc
rious difficulty, and the Chagres filtered
and controlled by deviations, changing the
course of the stream, which during the
dry season, is a shallow, rocky creek, but
during the rainy season deep and rag
ing torrent. Both simply questions of
skill and money. The distance from
ocean to acean is but AZ miles, as against
over 140 by the Nicaragua route, while
the immense advantages of a Panama
sea level canal over a Nicaragua lock
system can scarcely be estimated.
again, Nicaragua has no port, elther at
the Atlantic or Pacific end, and 1t Will
cost many millions to create 5harporss ana
many more to preserve them. Panama
has two superb ports, Colon (AspinwaiD
on the Atlantic, and Panama on. the Pa
ci1c, The former will require construc-
ton of a breakwater, and the latter to
have it's beautiful and magnificent mar
Dor in which the navies of the world
could be anchored, deepened. The tide
variation at Colon is IS inches; at Fan
ANA, 10 to 10 feet;> to equalize which one
or two locks at the Pacific mouth of the
canal would be necessary The time
saved by steamers in traversing sea
level canal. AZ miles long, as against a
lock system canal of 40 miles, would, IN
this electric age, be incalculable
Panama also possesses climatic ad-
vantages over Nicaragua, and is exempt
from the fearful seismic commissions which
might some day destroy the work-should
the Nicaragua canal be built.
1.-THE Colombia government is eager in
the extreme to have our, government buy
and complete the Panama canal, while
the French Company is anxious TO sell,
despite it's pretended coyness. Colombia
will give Ills whatever we can reasonably
ask, and the adj captandum buncombe
appeal of the Nicaraguan advocates of an
American canal built by Americans on
American soil, under American CONTROL
apply with equal force to Panama. In
fact, we already practically exercise
protectorate over the isthmus. and have
twice asserted it in the last twelve
months.
The Panama canal is over two-ffths
built and all questions pertaining to its
completion are known and virtually sov-
ed quantities Nicaragua, on the other
hand, will have to be built alb initio at
a cost greatly in excess of Panama, its
friends to the contrary. notwithstanding,
and ] think when Congress determines
TO take up the question seriously the
Nicaragua scheme will be relegated to
the rear. The Republicans wisely de-
clined in convention to commit them
selves to any route, and my belief is
the sentiment in favor of Nicaragua is