New-York tribune., 1901-10-19
NICARAGUA AND PANAMA
rgF RIVAL LSTHlNIAN CANAL
SCHEMES.
rrrWFn ACTIVITY OF PANAMA PEO-
PIE REGARDED WITH SUSPICION IN
UASHINGTON-CONG NOT
LIKELY TO DELAY ACTION.
Inr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

TBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
rr,sbinrton oct 1s.-Members Of Congress
"a rublic men in general i'm Washington re-
ard with peculiar concern, amounting In some
g. % eusnicion. the renewed activity at pres
:. ,n various parts OF the country OF the rep
..,,,s,ives Of the French Panama Canal Com
-, Maurice Hutin, the president of the COM
- mas returned to Washington with the
fro7,e5 purpose Of making new proposition TO
..,s Government 10 take over the uneompleted
p.,sma Canal II is noteworthy, however.
-, n Hutin very carefully guards the de-
.,us ~ his alleged new proposition from pub
,,,,, Whether or not the news that the United
-s,as and England at last have reached an
u,.s,,ert on the Nicaragua Canal question that
N meet the approval OF the Senate has had
ching 10 do with NJ. Hutin's return to Wash
-, at this time is not known. although in
.ran informed circles here il is generally sur
,,sad that except for this, the Panama people
.0uls not have reopened negotiations at the
--.ssnt iuncture for the sale Of their concern TO
tbe United States
:, Is understood that the revised price now
banr asked 10y NJ. Hutin and his associates is
bont $50 O00oee which Of course, is nothing
fre the amount Of money which the French peo-
r,s have expended in their efforts 10 dig a ship
rs,erway across the narrowest part Of the 18TH
.,,s II is argued that if those who are trying
~ sell the concern 20 this country own anything
,he rrice asked is so riCiculously small as to
arouse suspicion. because S35.eoO.ooo is mere
,...tsue when compared 10 the actual cost Of
,he work done by the Hutin company. There
Cove !, is being asked why is the price put so
,ovs The answer usually is that because the
rrsnchner really have nothing 20 sell. For the
sc dnd a
aoanal franchise. although even this is seriously
soubted But granted that they have the eX-
lusive right under treaty stipUlations 20 build
ssnal along their route the ablest engineering
skill in the United States that has been brought
10 hear on the question declares that the route
is tnpractca bic. ana that hence the French
franchise in Panama is worth nothing. 1t is con-
ceded Of course that much Of the machinery
and ether costly paraphernala being employed
nv the French in the work Of constructing their
canal might be utilized by this country when
work is begun on the Nicarag qua Canal. but IL is
regarded Gs scarcely probable that this ma
ebiperv etc could not be duplicated by the
United States for great deal less than S35.oOO.-
600 II this, then, is the only asset Of real
money value in the Panama Canal scheme. il is
coutended that the United States will not have
10 expend half of fhe price asked by NJ.
But the fact Of interest, If not of importance.
that NJ Hutin and his resQurceful associates
are Offering 10 sell what they call the Panama
Canal 10 the United States just at a time when
the last of the International complications In
the Rsy Of favorable Nicaraguan Canal legisla-
ton are about TO be removed. in view Of this
singular coincidence the fear is expressed In
high quarters in Washington that the Panama
proposition may lac used a convenient ex-
cuse by The secret enemies of all canal legisla-
ton 10 defer action on the Nicaragua enterprise
at the Forthcoming session Of Congress. The
fact that IL, Walker Commission has reported
against tho lama route is no apparent dis
coIisgeplent 10 ~ Hutin. which is taken 70 indi-
cate the probability that he has received from
some influential source a strong hint that IL he
viii persist in his efforts to unload the Panama
scheme on this country he may be able 10 re-
coup part Of his losses through notner source
by 50 confusing the canal situation in Congress
as 70 keep that question in suspense for Few
years longer at least.
u this is the real motive OF the Panama peo-
pie, il Is not believed il will avail much. The
new -Pauncefote Treaty, outlined in The
Trbunes Washington dispatches to-day. VIII SO
clarity the situation that IL cannot be seen how
the next Congress can find reasonable excuse
for longer deferring positive and definite action
QE the canal question. Even those Wes'ein II
Democrats who. like the Missouri deiegauon IN
,bA lss, tIo,,sa bere+ofore have voted against
the Nicaragua proposition at the behest OF Trans
Continental railroads hut ostensibIy because OF
Great Britains refusal 10 consent 10 the aprosa'
ton NJ she c'la,,,or F2ulver Treaty will not have
that a1c,,sa 90 eall bacl ON this winter when the
new FFav- -parncefote convention is ratified by
the Senate. Still this element OF oostructiohis''
may find the Hutin proposition an easy ana con
venient subterfuge.