The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-08
OPPOSED TO 70 More DELAY
Report From the Senate Committee
on Inter- Oceanic Canals.
Congress should at Once Determine
Either to Provide n Law SANCTION
Ing the Waterway or Abandon II
ns Unworthy of Confederation
The Nicarasuan Route Favored.

Mr.. Morgan yesterday presented to the
Senate the fourth part of the report of
| the Committee on Inter-Oceanic Canals.
Referring to the House bill now pending
| In the Senate the report says that IL
furnishes the true, safe, and honorable
method Of dealing with the rights, pow
ers. and duties Of Congress with an 18TH
milan CANAL
| Delay in consideration of the bill is
| spoken Of as follows:
| Hating and hesitation are worthy of
censure when nothing is presented to re-
quire It. and no better conditions are to
| be reached by delay. The duty rests
| squarely upon us, and Congress should be
| equal to it.
No excuse remains for delaying the
| action of Congress either to crafty the
new Panama Canal Company or to daily
with any other Power in negotiations over
measure that enters deeply into our ma
tional financial policy and will shape the
action OF our Government and people in a
great many other important matters that
concern them This is a great and con-
trolling measure OF public expenditure,
which Is now safely within our means, and
OOA5itSo ouOuiu now QeteTmfQe that 1t
VIII provide law to sanction it, or else
that 1t is rot worthy of consideration and
abandon it.
Suspense will add nothing to our abil-
ity to enter upon this work. while If it is
delayed by our trepidation we shall grow
weaker by the indulgence of that odicus
inhrmity"
Continuing. the report says: Each new
development OF facts, each apparent
n n N ~ i'll
lapse Of concessions made to our citizens
by Nicaragua during half century, each
suggestion or overture for joint control
OF the canal by other governments in cen
neetion with the United States. each ef-
tort 10 lodge the ownership and control
OF this canal in corporate bodies instead
of the United States. each obstruction that
was presented, whether openly or secretly
by competitive lines of transportation, or
by speculative enterprises chartered by
States for the purpose of preventing the
United States from executing its settled
policy of the exclusive ownership and con-
troll Of the canal through the isthmus CT
Darien has the more firmly convinced
your committee that the provisions Of
House bill 253S are the just. safe, true
and honorable method OF providing this
necessary part of our physical CONNER
cial and political geography and a mari
time highway for all the nations of the
world
at is needless that any Government.
corporation, or combination of individuals
should attempt to diyert the IIn...ed States
from its fixed policy as to the ownership
and control OF sucn a canal and that
element of discussion is dropped Neither
is it necessary to consider any route for
a canal besides those of Panama and
Nicaragua, the search for any other route
having demonstrated that only these
routes are practicable
The report then treats the Nicaragua
route as the one selected fDaVY." stating
that the decisive vote in the Ho-se@225 !
to 25-determines the location. so that
it remains only to vindicate that decision
against the pretensious of the Panama
route" The report then srguss in detail
on the advantages Of the Nicaragua route
over ell others 1t sets forth what is
stated to be conclusive proof of the fatal
defect OF the Panama route the com
pIications in the way of having the United
States take up the Panama route. etc.
After referring TO evidence given by Fana
ma canal officials the report says:
The statements made on that hearing
disclose the aniuius OF these parties IN
seeking a hearing before the committee
and in its plan Of obstruction in an IN
mistakabie way. It is not to obtain aid
from the United States. That idea is dis
painfully repealed 1t is not to get per-
struct, own and control q canal at Pana-
ma. Such proposition is foreign to their
purposes, while they claim the obligation
of the United States to protect the canal
as one of the valuable rights Of the COM
pany, which also concerns the United
States as an interested observer OF
events.
These hearings and reports in eonHec-
ton with the letters written by Nj. Crom
well lead to the unavoidable conclusion
that the new Panama Canal Company will
endeavor TO defeat a canal through Costa
Rica ard Nicaragua as it did in 1885"
In conclusion the report says:
'If the House bill is passed in the Sen
ate and becomes a law it is safe to expect
that an agreement can be made with Great
Britain as favorable. at least, to the Uni
ted States as that contained in the HSy-
Pauncefote Treaty. as amended. after the
House bill is enacted. This expectation IS
not based upon any supposed want Of
power, or of will, in that great empire.
to maintain what she considers Just or
advantageous position. nor yet upon her
for that we do not ask but
upon the fact that the canal when built
will be of incalcuable value to all her
North and Central American possessions,
and that she can never realizs these ad-
advantages without the consent and assis-
lance of the United States. Neither can
Great Britain or any combination of Pow
ers construct and maintain a canal at
without our consent"