The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-05
THE PAN-AMERICAN RAILWAY.
THE CONGRESS TAKES MUCH TIME
IN IT'S DISCUSSION.

e&utes NAVE OtNerse optuAOHs
Upon This Point--Mr. Davis Sub
nlits Twenty Reasons in Favor OF
the Construction of Such Road.
Seven of which Were Approved
of-others Referred Back 10 the
Committee.
City Of Mexico. Dec. AT this morn
ing's session of the Pan-American Con
gress, Mr.. Baez of Paraguay, arose and
session the president had given him
the floor to reply to Walker MARTINEZ
of Chill. He desired now to waive his
right and to make no reply. He re-
GREETED, he said, that his remarks at
the previous session had caused any
unpleasantness.
When Mr.. Lopez Portimo of Mexico
presented his amendment touching the
neutrality clause of the Pan American
railway project, Senator Davis first
asked that his recommendations be
passed upon in their present form. and
that Mr.. Portimo's amendment be in
ccrporated as an addition. The chair
ruled, however, that the amendment
must go to the committee on Pan
American railways. The chair said
that the other clauses of Mr.. Davis
report could be passed upon by the.
conference.
Mr.. Leger of Hayti and Mr.. Carlo,
representing Santo Domingo and Ecua-
dor, said that for geographical reasons
their countries were not interested in
the railway project and that they
would abstain from voting.
Mr. DaNriS
IN favor of construction of the road
vote was taken on the project in gen
eral and 1t was approved by eighteen
votes.
Seven recommendation OF AfF- Davis.
report were approved by the votes of
seventeen delega tons.
Clause s, the neutrality clause, was
omitted. Clause was approved by 10
votes, Hayti and Santo Domingo alb
staining, and Argentine voting adverse
ly.
Clause 10, which suggests that the
United States send q competent person
to all the republics of America to study
the resources of the several countries;
locations and status of existing rail-
ways; the present trade conditions,
prospective traffic and what concessions
each government would be disposed to
grant. ELECTED observations from Mr.
Pineda of Mexico. He thought all the
COUNTRIES of America should cooperate
in This preliminary work, and that it
should not be done by the United States
alone. Mr.. Matte of Chill, supported
Mr.. Pineda, and Senator Davis asked
that the clause be referred back to the
committee.
Clause IL, which calls for a perma-
nent committee to interest itself in the
railroad, was also referred to the COM
mittee, several delegates desiring in
formation concerning the personnel of
the said committee.
Lazo Arriaga of Guatemala said
that the neutrality clause of the rail-
way project was of such vital impor-
lance to all countries concerned, that
1t would be well If the Committee on
International Law was to operate
with the Pan-American Railway Com
mittee in rewording clause of the
Davis project
An amendment was presented by
Lopez Portimo OF Mexico, to the fol-
lowing effect:
Clause 8. That the railway to be
built must be declared perpetually neu-
trail by special conventions of the ma
tons interested to insure free traffC-
Railways already constructed or
that may be built in future by private
concessions of each nation and inde-
pendently of the company or compa-
MES which may be formed to execute
work destined to complete the CONT
mental railway, shall not be considered
as comprised in said declaration of
neutrality and shall continue to be ex-
clusively controlled by their own con-
cessions and local laws"
Mr.. Davis then read the following
reasons in favor Of construction of the
road:
First. 1t comes from the committee
with unanimous report.
Second. The engineers who made
the survey through Central and South
America report, practicable and can
be built at reasonable cost
Third. The desire for the road ap-
pears to he general and it will be of
great value when built.
Fourth. Civilization and commerce
will be largely advanced if the road is
built.
Fifth. The passengers, mail, express
and general traffic will be more regu-
larry and speedily transported.
Sixth. The products of the soil, the
timber and mines will be generally in
creased in value.
Seventh. 1t will increase the value
of property in general and give en-
ployment to many people"
Eighth. 1t will make the neces-
saries Of life more plentiful and cheap
err
Ninth. II will bring the republics
and people closer together, which will
be tendency to prevent war and cul-
tivate peace.
Tenth. The building Of the road will
bring large sums of money into the
republics and will make property many
miles on each side of the road. more
valuable.
Eleventh. In the event Of war be-
tween any of the great Powers trans
portation by water would be inter-
ruted. but the railroad would continue
in use.
Twelfth. 1t will be a. great saver
in time for mails, passengers and gen
eral traffic.
trade value of products and reduce the
price Of manufactured goods.
Fourteenth. A country, city or town
without a railroad is behind the time.
Fifteenth. 1t will increase friendly
political and commercial relations be-
tween republics.
Sixteenth. The interior towns
Of the republics have TO pack
goods TO get them TO sea-
ports, sometimes a very considera-
BILE distance, and seaports are at places
perhaps a hundred miles apart. If
there were railroad there would be
thousands OF stopping places and much
less trouble to get products intended
for export TO. places of export.
Seventeenth. II the railroad were
built there would be more than
a thousand stations along the line of