The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-11-28

necessary for the construction OF thu
canal and for its management after conn
control of a strip of territory from sea
to sea sufficient in area for the conveni-
ert and efficient accomplishment of these
purposes. Measures must also be taken
all kinds to insure sanitary control and
to render police jurisdiction effective.
The strip should be not less than five
miles wide on each side of the center
width. No treaties now exist with any
of the states within whose territory the
two routes lie authorizing the United
States to occupy it's territory for the con-
struction and operation of a canal. When
it has been determined to undertake the
work and the route, has been selected.
and Costa Rica,. for such occupation
must be obtained before the Inauguration
of the enterprise, and one or more con-
tenticns must be entered into by the
United States to secure the necessary
privileges and authority. The republics
of Nicaragua and Costa Rica are UNI
trammeled by any existing concessions
grant to the uni3ed States STAT ars the rs Fights
necessary for the attainment of these
ends, and in December. 1900, demonstrat-
ed their Willingness to have their terri RI,
agreed that they would enter into ne
gotiations to settle in detail the plan
anu agreements NECESSARY " dCCOlhpiioi1
the construction and provide for the
ownership of the proposed canal when
ever the President of the United States
is authorized by law to acquire the nee
Colombia Not Free.
The government of Colombia, on the
contrary, in whose territory the Panama
route lies, has granted concessions which
belong to-. or are controlled by the New
Panama Canal Company, and have many
years to run. These concessions, limit
ed in time and defective in other ways,
purposes of the United States. but while
they exist Colombia is not free to treat
with this government. If the Panama ma
route Is selected these, concessions mus.
may enter into treaty to enable the
upon the isthmus that will be necessary
ment with the New Panama Canal Com
pany to surrender or transfer Its con.
cessons must include sale Of Its canal
property and unfinished work. ana the
commission undertook. soon after ITS or
ganization, to ascertain upon what terms
this could be accomplished. Much cor
respondence and many conferences 1ol-
was presented until the middle Of oeto.
Der. 1901, and after prolonged discussion
it was submitted to the comnission m :.
modified form on the 4th of November
dent. The itemized statements appear IN
an earlier chapter of the report. The
total amount for which the company
offers to sell and transfer Its canal prop
erty to the United States is Sl09, al 50O.
This. added to the cost of completing the
work. makes the whole cost OF canai
by the Panama route $253,374S5S. While
the cost by the Nicaragua route IS $lss,-
SS4,062, difference of S63.51O,796 IN favor
OF the Nicaragua route.
States Must re CONNIE nsatcd. .t
IN each case there must be added the
cost of obtaining the use of the terri
tory to be occupied and such other priVi-
struction and operation of the canal IN
different states will ask for granting
these privileges is now unknown. There
are certain physical advantages such as
shorter canal line. a more complete
knowledge of the country through which
1t passes and lower cost of maintenance
and operation, in favor of the Panama
route, but the price fixed by the Panama
Canal Company for sale of its prop
erty and franchises is so unreasonable
that its acceptance cannot be- recon-
mended by this commission: After con-
sidering all the facts developed by the
Investigations made by the commission,
the actual situation as 1t now stands
and having in view the terms offered by
the New Panama Canal Company, this
commission is of the opinion that 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 route.