The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-22
WHY THE PANAMA RoUTEe


Nearly a year ago, in discussing the
possibilities for the ratification of the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty, the Globe ar
sued that the treaty would fail of rati-
ication in the senate, because all the
enemies of the Nicaragua canal both
aet We and passive, would Join with Size
jingoes in an assault upon this conven-
ton. The Hay-Pauncefote treaty was the
most vulnerable point in the whole canal
armor. The treaty had some enemies of
its own on account of it's provisions. 1t
would be opposed by all the enemies of
an isthmian canal, including certain pow
erful transcontinental railroad lines. 1t
would be opposed by the Panama Canal
company through business considera-
tons And lastly it would meet with op-
position from great many hard-headed
business men who saw in the building of
the Nicaraguan canal the certainty of
two isthmian canals, which meant that
both would be financial failures for
years.
These divergent interests as Indicated
evidently Joined hands and the Hay
Pauncefote treaty was rejected by the
senate, and the Nicaraguan canal scheme
was postponed indefinitely Another
treaty is said to have been negotiated
which evades some of the hooks upon
which the jingo statesmen hung their
cloaks year ago. Will this treaty be
ratified?
It will stand much better show If
the Nicaraguan canal scheme be elimi-
mated from the equation. Without go
ing into the discussion of the two
routes, which could be done intelligent
" only upon the complete report of the
Walker commission, we will assume that
the Panama scheme is equally as good
as the other and that the property can.
be obtained az reasonable price from
the Panama company. That granted, it
behooves the friends of the Hay-Paunce-
fote treaty to throw their influence into
the Panama scale if they want to get
a two-thirds vote in the senate for their
treaty Otherwise the old fight will have
to be made again With the government
huence of the Panama company with its
lobby will be thrown in the scale of the
treaty. Those who wished to defeat the
Nicaraguan bill because two canals
meant business failure for both, will sup
port the treaty as a preliminary measure
and the railroad interests which so Wig
orousIy opposed the Nicaraguan route
viii spend little money to prevent the
United States from finishing a work that
is now thrcc-ffths done and which some
other nation Will speedily finish if We do
not With these Examinations from the
opposition and the further fact that the
honest jingoes have been considered in
the wording of the new agreement, the
treaty as it will be presented may be rat
flied It would pay the Panama Canal
company to spend million dollars to
secure the ratification of the treaty, pro-
viding the United States can be first COM
mitted to the isthmian route.
The talk of a newly discovered route,
over which tide water canal can be
built is not worthy of consideration,
for that, again, would mean two canals.
We must face the fact at all times that
the Panama canal win be finished by
someone, no inter how many other
bitches are dug.
a further fact seems to be disregarded
by the press in discussing this matter,
l. e, that by the expenditure of a few
more million dollars the Panama route
can be reduced to tide water canal
This was the first intention of De Les
seps
The alignment of the forces on the new
Hay-Pauncefote treaty will determine the
life or death of the canal this year, just
as it did last winter