The San Francisco call., 1901-11-08
THE RIVAL CANALS.

Asst winter The Call predicted that the admin
istration would have control of the canal ques
- ton in such way as to overcome any further
of obstructive tactics The enemies of the 18TH
man canal, being dslodged from all other positions
assumed patriotic air and talked the star-spangled
banner. They wanted the canal and the shores of
Lake Nicaragua converted into continuous Ameri-
fortress with the flag flying like streak of glory
from sea to sea- the cannons roaring and the bands
playing yankee Doodle" In order to effect this
continuous vaudeville performance the rest of the
world was to be snubbed and arruped But in the
process the canal going to be made costly that
unless part of its cost charged off the investment
to be borne directly by American taxpayers in appro
prations for the War Department the tolls for using
the waterway would be prohibitive.
While not all who opposed the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty were enemies of the canal the opposition to
that treaty got its impulse from such enemies, be-
cause its defeat meant delay and time to inhame
tional feeling to the pitch of demands that would
make the canal impossible
1t was evident then that the administration would
negotiate another treaty with Great Britain, and if
it were beaten by the huaballoo tactics employed
before would have a proposition for the Panama
canal so favorable that with its freedom from Euro
pean complications it would compel the obstruction
lists to show their hands and assume their true char
acte that of enemies of the project they pretended
favor
Since this prediction was made the Panama Canal
Company has abated its attitude of independence,
and by the tact consent of its grantor the republic
of Colombia is offering terms so favorable that
Government finds itself in position to them to
force the Nicaragua project all dilatory
tactics
Ever since Humboldt wrote his Political Essay on
the Kingdom of New Spain, in which he discussed
isthmian canal work worthy of the attention
of Spain, then the of the isthnus the Nicar-
aqua and Panama routes have been equally promi-
nent and about equally favored by engineers capital
lists and navigators.
Panama offers the shortest route only about thirty
miles The Nicaragua utizes Nicaragua Lake and
the San Juan River, and requires system of locks
The original design of De Lesseps for the Panama
canal sea level waterway, requiring no lockage,
enabling greater economy of operation and short
cnng the time required to pass from to
With choice of routes, and with all the engineer
ing data at hand it may be confidently anticipated
that the coming session of Congress will settle the
canal question and enable the beginning of the work
Surely it is tine That waterway has been under dis
cussion more than century. 1t has been an object
of interest to American craftsmanship since Jeffer
son was our representative in France in 1888 and
wrote to Mr. Carmichael at Madrid with respect
tc the Isthmrs of Panama, assured by Bu:goin
that survey was made that canal practicable,
and that the idea suppressed for political
altogether He has seen and minutely examined the
report This report is to vast desideratGnl for
reasons political and philosophical"
Clay when Secretary of State in 1925, wrote to
Senior de Canaz, first diplomatic representative of the
Central American republic to Washington: "The
idea has been long conceived of uniting these two
seas by canal navigation. The execution of it will
form great epoch in the commercial affairs of the
whole world Various lines for the proposed canal
have been suggested and have divided public opinion.
The evidence tending show the superiority of the
advantages of that which would the province
of Nicaragua seems tc have nearly settled the ques
ton in favor of that route" That was seventy-six
years ago. and no canal yeti The great epoch in
the commercial affairs of the whole world is not yet
Surely it will not wait beyond the next session of
Congress-