Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-12-23
FOR PANAMA ROUTE
''na'oFs inclined to Favor a Canal on
the lsthmus,
fhtNCH WILL SELL DITCH.
' from Paris to That Eject Ar
immediate Action ON the
Morgan Bill - A sena.
tors Views.

- ~NNs Ut TeDOIl
aa ou rarls that the Panama Canal
s som mas expressed willingness to
Ir sm l's property at fair price to the
oni'ed States was read with great in.
'eres' by such members of congress- AZ
a ae IA Washington. If subsequent pro-
s.eu'ngs snail indicate that the French
-. nen really mean what they say, there
~ 'hey believe, no doubt that due con-
''uefa'loh Will be given to their offer.
II II shall be found that the property
~ question can be bought for what 1t
20 "of'h' they say it is possible this
government may buy it and build its
canal on the Panama route rather than
vi 'le Nicaragua route. The news from
iarls already has had the effect of
strengthening the determination of GER
tam Republican senators not to rush to
the approval Of the Morgan bill now be-
iofe the senate, which commits this
country to building a canal on the Nj
caragua route.
DIX OF the leading senators conferred
WIN reference to the Morgan bill and
came to the conclusion that it ought to
pe referred back to the committee on
interoceanic canal for further consider
alton.
What IA senator Said,
one of the senators who participated
III the conference said: 1--WE held that
the building of canal between the
Atlantic and the Pacific was bust
ness undertaking. 1t was not matter
OF sentiment. 1t seemed to us that the
tllng to do was to look at any PROPOSE
ton connected with the enterprise just
as business man would look at any
project brought to his attention. For
my part | would be ashamed of myself
If | should allow anything but hard
business sense to guide me in my con-
sideration of this great undertaking, in
'olving the expenditure of an enor-
nous amount of money belonging to
the people. am not Nicaragua man.
am not a Panama man. am a sena-
tor of the United States, on whom the
people rely for sound, sensible action
touching this matter. l am not pre-
pared to say at this moment which
route | favor, and that was the atti-
tude of the senators with whom l
talked.
"'We must be CAREFUL one of them
said. This is too big matter to blum
der in. The people want canal, but
they look to us to use business judg-
ment in building it. 1t would be a
shameful thing for us to blunder
through failure to act with care and
discretion
'1rhat is merely one mans opinion,
but the rest talked in the same way.
And now that this report comes from
Paris that the Panama Canal company
is willing to sell out at reasonable
price | can see that the position we
took was wise. We have got to look
into this Panama offer when it comes
to us officially. 1t wouldn't be bust
nesslike to disregard it. If it turns out
to be a fair proposition. it is quite
within the possibilities that the canal
will go to Panama instead of to Mica
ragua Certainly the question will
come up whether it would be wise to
send it there. So far as am concern
ed the only questions considered will
be such as l would look into if were
rich enough to build canal between
the oceans myself and was deliberat-
ing where I would locate the ditch"
1t is believed that there are good
many senators who hold about the
same views.