The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-24
THE ISTHMIAN CANAL REPORT.
1t Is Expected to BE Ready Early
in August.


The date now set by the Inter-Oceanic
Canal Commission for rendering its for
NAL report IS the early part OF August
Between nov ard then the fun commits
sion VIII hold d long continuous session
for the discussion of the final details. on
the Nicaragua route the work of the top0-
graphical and geographical surveys Is
practically finished. and the boriags form
an unbroken line from six fathoms Of
water on the Pacific side to six fathoms
on the Atlantic side.
Some suspicion has been thrown upon
the work and representations of the Mari
time Company by the necessity Of this
new series of bOTings by the commission.
The commission exonerates the company
from any charge Of bad faith; its boTings
appear TO have been honest enough but
some OF the records. it is said, were so
badly confused as to be useless to the
commission and to necessitate doing the
work over from the beginning In every
instance the commission has gone down
to rock wherever a lock site was marked
and ut four dam sites. 1t is satisfied that
all the locks and dams in the specificss-
tions can be built if desired. As to the
cost Of building some of them, that Is
quite another matter.
The formal report will differ frcm the
preliminary report in dealing with the
Panama project as now open to serious
consideration by the Government Roth
the Colombian Republic and the FreAch
company are anxious to make terms sat
isfactory to Congress and the AdministEa-
tign. a false report is said to have beer.
set afoat some time ago that DR. Silva
had been stripped Of his authority to ne
Ha
ton being thrown out that political ext
geacirs in Colombia were inclining the
Government there to hedge a little from
its former enthusiasm
The whole story doubtless grew out Of
the fact that when Dr. Silva came to this
country clothed with special authority to
transact the canal business he was Mill
lister OF Foreign Affairs in the home Cahi-
net; but, finding that his mission here
was going to consume a great deal more
time than ne had expected, he sent in his
resignation Of his Cabinet Office, so that
he might feel free to devote all Of his
time and thought to the canal.
1t appears tina: both he and his Govern
rneut are ready to go to any length to in
duce the United States to build the Pana-
ma Canal. They are prepared to author
izc the French company. if the authority
has not already been given, to sell out
any or all Of its rights to cur Govern
ment
The one cloud in the Panama sky. in
the judgment Of the official circle here. Is
the attitude of President Hutjn. of the
French company. As far as can be ascer-
tanned matters are in such 4 shape now
that he. commands the situation in any
event. short Of the seizure Of his com
pany's property and the repeal # its
franchises ny the Colombian Governme mt
under its right Of eminent domain Self
interest would naturally make him anx-
ious to procure the cooperation Of our
Government in some plan which would
still leave the construction Of the canal
TO be completed under French auspices.
Any such consummation would involve
his acting rs general director Of the en-
terprise and give him place in history
second TO no engineer in his country in
/ deed, among the foremost figures Of his
generation In the world How far ne is
willing TO sacrifice such a personal ad-
vantage for the sake Of having the cansl
/ actually built, and how good his judg-
ment may be "a to the point where h
must withdraw in order to SAVE the whole
project from collapse, no one can tel
vet a great deal may depend upon the
answer to these questions