New-York tribune., 1901-11-28
phNANA'S LOSING GAME.

The Panama Canal people are reported TO be
not at ali well Pleased with the outlook for their
enterprise. Their negotiatons-if we may
call them--with the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion have proved fruitless. for them, and they
realize that its forthcoming report Is likely 10
recommend the construction of canal in Mic
aragua rather than the purchase of their unin-
ished work. At that. there are intimations
they will appeal TO Congress and will seek to
accomplish by lobbying what they could not
effect by argument. Such course will scarcely
commend them to more favorable consideration
Their attempts to discredit the commission, on
the ground that its head is in favor Of the
Nicaragua route instead Of theirs, is likely to
provoke nothing more serious than smile. and
the suggestion that another commission should
be appointed will not be well received. This
country does not want an nterminable success
sion Of commissions 1t wants a canal. And
having now a commission of capacity and au-
thority as high as it could hope to get and that
commission having done its work with marked
intelligence and thoroughnesS the United States
is likely to accept that commissions report as
final and TO proceed with the work the lines
laid down therein.
The fact seems to be- far now be
Judged that the representatives, of the Panama
enterprise overreached themselves in trying to
play too shrewd game They appear to have
hestated TO make a straightforward and def
mite offer to the commission. and 10 have sought
instead TO get it to make them an offer-some-
thing quite impossible. Or, if they did make an
offer il ut so high figure to put their
enterprise altogether out of the competition.
Nor is 1t clear that they have been able to con
vince Americans of their ability to give an in
disputable title TO their property. Upon these
and other points we shall be more enlightened
when the commissions report is published. At
present it seems safe TO assume that the Pan
anna game is losing one, for of the three
causes we have suggested If so. the promoters
of that enterprise will have only themselves to
blame.
The fact is that the Panama scheme despite
some apparent advantages. has been i'll advised
and i'll omened from the very beginning NJ
de Lessepss grandiloquent declaration that
there should be a tide level canal, without locks
was ma gniicent, but it was not civil engineer
ing The original Panama company ran a
career of nefficiency, profiigacy and corruption
unsurpassed in the annals of human frailty. and
came to grief with a crash that almost in Paul
Kriicer's phrase staggered humanity The dis
regard of United States treaty and other rights
which has been displayed all along has not COM
mended the enterprise to favor. And the pres
ent company, succeeding to so discredited an
| inheritance. has never yet been able to convince
| impartial minds that it has any higher object
| than TO obstruct the Nicaragua enterprise and
| to inveigle the United States into paying it a
| big price for bad job. If the Panama COM
| pany was able to give clear title to IT'S prop
| erty, and was willing to sell 1t outright-not a
| share in it. but the whole thng-at reasonable
| price. it should have done so long ago. 1t is
| possible that it would have met with success
! But having failed to do So it must not be sur
| prised, nor blame others. If now 1t finds its day
! of grace is past