The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-12-31
HOPES TO BLOCK
THE CANAL BILL
Panama Lobby Centers
It's Efforts Upon the
Senate.
Powerful Interests Will At
tempt to Defeat Public
Will Once More.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 30.-There are in
dications that the Panama canal lobby
will resume operations in Washington
next week and make a heroic effort TO
again block the way Cor canal legislation.
For many years the opponents of legis-
latiOn for the Nicaragua canal have util-
lied the Panama scheme to prevent sucn
legislation. Representatives of the trans
continental railroads have been more or
less conspicuous in all Of these efforts,
but with public sentiment so unanimOu sly
in favor of the isthmian canal this O0po-
sitiOn has had to keep in the background
and make its influence felt through ad-
vOcacy Of the Panama canal. The report
from Paris that the Panama Company is
now ready to sell its concessions and
property for $40, 100000 and that the gen
eral secretary OF the company has sailed
for this country has provided a new eX-
cuSe for those who wish to prevent the
passage Of the Hepburn bill. This bill has
been made a special order for January Z.
There is no doubt about its passage 10y,
the House by a large majority. II Will
receive an almost unanimous vote in the
House, and viii be sent to the Senate be-
fore the close Of next week.
The efforts Of the opposition will be cen
tered in the Senate. That body can be
depended upon for elaboration and lOns
discussion. In fact, the opponents Of the
bin say they can always depend upon
Senator Morgan, chief advocate of the
Nlcaraguan canal, to help them delay the
vote by his weakness for long argument.
II VIII De Qlf1Cult, however, Tor the Op-
pOnents Of the canal TO present new con-
ditiOns in this readiness of the Panama
Company to sell its property and cOnces-
siOns for $40 100000, the estimated value
put upon the property by the canal COM
mission. The report of the Isthmian
Canal Commission, recently submitted to
Congress, shows that this Government
could not utilize the Panama canal, even
should that company make US a present
Of its property. The accepted plan Of Con-
gress and Of the American people is for
the Government canal to be owned and
controlled by the United States Govern
menL
There is no possibility of a canal by the
Panama route. The Isthmian Canal Com
mission makes this point clear in its re-
port. But even with this report Of the
canal commission before Congress, there
are Senators who talk about the adVan-
tage Of the Panama route. They profess
TO believe that We can drive a good bar
knowing the property to be purchased
would never enable this Government to
own and control the canal.
With the Panama proposition and the
demand for absolute treaties with Mica
ragua and Costa Rica granting the con-
cesSiOns, the opponents of legislation hope
to delay the Hepburn bills passage until
the close of this session. They will not
fight the bill openly, but viii use these
the Senate to prevent legislation through
one more session.
1t will require diplomacy and strategy
for the Senators to hold back the canal
bill, but the Panama lobby will try to fur
nish excuses to enable it to do so and let
another session pass without canal legis-
latiOn-