The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-11
Helping Prepare Report of Mic
araguan Canal Commission.
HE is AN AUTHORITY.
Regarded as One Of Best Inform
ed Men on That Subject.
Talks of the Project to a State
Journal Reporter.

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preparation Of the report of the Mica
ragua canal commission, of which he is
a. member. Senator Harris is reputed
to be one of the best informed men in
congress on this important question
In discussing the subject with the
State Journal representative Senator
Harris said:
In 1913 the government of the United
States was fortunate in having as its
representative in Nicaragua a sturdy,
farseeing American named Hise. Even
at that day the Isthmian canal question
was an old one more pressing upon
European powers than at present, as
it was regarded as the short route to
the Orient, and Great Britain, France
and Spain had been deVOting more or
less time to it. Major Hlses realizing
its advanta ges proceeded to negotiate
a treaty with Nicaragua, by far more
favorable to the United States than
was ever obtained with the exception
of the sO-ca1led FreyHnghuysen-Z avalla
treaty, which was negotiated during
the Arthur administration and with
drawn by Mr.. Cleveland. BY the Hise
treaty the United states We're given
absolute control of it and would have
made it in every sense an American
canal. The moment this was known,
Great Britain began to extend her Mos
quito Coast claims until she took pos
session forcibly of the harbOr and town
of GreytOwn, which was practically an
act of war against Nicaragua and
equally offensive, or should have been
so, to the United States, the direct eff
feet Of which was to secure by force
the eastern terminus Of the canal In
stead of resisting this outrageous act,
a weak administration in Washington
at once proceeded to disavoW and re-
pudiate the Hise treaty, and entered
upon a game of diplomacy, in which
as usual, We We're out-witted, and
which resulted in the famous Clayton
BulWer treaty negotiated in 1880. BY
this treaty we gave up our rights as a
70 hlr VT "a a
with the construction of the CANAL
Great Britain doing the same and each
side agreed to refrain from extending
control or sovereignty IN any ulreCllOn
over the Central American states.
Great Britain, however, failed to
comply with her agreement, so far as
her claims over the Mosquito coasts
were concerned and it was not until
1857 that she refrained in any way
from her outrageous aggressions upon
Nicaragua and in fact she has never
entirely withdrawn her pretended SOW
ereignty over the Belize and other
points in that region. 1t seems strange,
therefore. that we should ever have had
an administration that would continue
to regard the ClaytOn-BulWer treaty rs
valid. lit is true, we have had great
secretaries Of state, some Of whom pro
nOunced it void, While others DrOnOunc-
ed it voidabl Mr.. Blaine took a strong
and splendid position in this direction
1t was under the limitations of this
treaty that we sanctioned various CON
cessiOns to private companies to con-
struct the canal. The most important
Of these concessions was to the Mari
time Canal company However, the
temper of the American people was
wrought up to believe that this should
be a government work, and in the 55tn
congress the declaration was made in
a bill which passed the senate that the
United States would undertake the
work. During all Of the preceding per-
iOd, the transCOntinental railroads. the
Panama company and the Pacific Nail
Steamship company, were thwarting
every effort which was made looking to
it's construction. When the government
became a factor, the efforts were re-
doubled and the corridors Of the senate
les of these corporations whose purpose
was to defeat the act.
both political parties being commit
ted to the measure, and the people hav-
ing that intention, few public men had
the hardihood to oppose it. All profess
ed to be intensely friendly to the canal
and some were forced to do Indirectly
what they did not dare to do directly
Accordingly the opposition was forever
insisting that further surveys must be
made before we should commit our
selves to any specific line. notWithstand-
ing that surveys had been made in 1850
1851, 1852 and later, all of whom
pronounced the Nicaragua line the
"a ~ fo1-1i,er ,rssrl,1ti6T fIra,5eb an
pointing the Walker commission, in Au-
1Tia1- III tha r5l6lieatfon II Their fin "a
port they had been before the senate COM
to the findings that had been made bv
all other engineers before them to the
Of reasonable cost the estimates ranging
from IS million to 135 million dollars. The
friends Of the measure supposed that
again the opposition headed by Mr.. Han
ma in the committee insisted that fur
Their eXaminatlon should be made that
all possible routes had not been fully con
sidered, although it was shown that the
various times Of 4 very possible suggested
line. The demand for delay. however. was
that it resulted in an appropriation Of one
million dollars ana the organization OF a
new coInnlissloi- rms commit tee was IN
structed to examine all OF the known lines
devote speclai atIentlon TO the merits OF
the principal rival line, now in the hands
Of the French company between Panama
and AspinwalI, and knNgYn e. the Panama
line. Another year and q half was thus
consumed
IN the meantime by a most remarkable
and pusfllanimous Difference TO the absurd
British interests under the old Clayton
Bulwer treaty Mr. Hay proceeded to ne
EotIate what is known as the Hay
Pauncefote treaty This treaty recog-
BuIwer treaty. Tt conceded the conten-
tentiOns Of Great Britain that we should
great work and while permitting us TO
incur all the risk. danger and expense.
provided that the canal should remain
open in time of war as we'll as in time of
peace. This treaty met with universal
condemnation throughout the country.
The friends Of the administration did not
dare to bring st before the senate for rat
ifcatiOn during that session of congress.
and It not until last December that
it was presented for serious consideration.
and then with amendment offered bV
the committee which was intended to Sc
cure control Of the canal to the govern
Enent of the United States in its own de-
tense. Two other amendments were put 4