Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-10-24
NEW ROUTE is OFFERED.
Panama Company Now Anxious to
Sell Out.


ernment for the sum of $50 900, 900.
IL TINS proves true, the possibility OF
the Panama route being selected is
greatly increased.
MIR, Maurice Hutin, president of the
company, is in Washington and has
been here for several days past He
Is consulting with Admiral Walker
ana the members of the isthmian ca
nal commission. The object of his
visit is to renew. through the commits
sion. the negotiations for the sale of
the company's holdings in the 18TH
mus. The figure named is the one
FOR which the company offers its work
on the isthmus and was secured today
from seemingly reliable source.
| That Mr. Hutin came to Washing
ton for the purpose of making a def
mite proposition is not denied in any
quarter. Admiral Walker, the mem
bers of the commission and Mr. Hutin
himself refuse to discuss details.
year ago Mr.. Hutin after much
dickering through members of senate
and house committees and with mem
bers of the commission. indicated that
the company would want about S1O7-
100000 for its property. He added
to this reservation however, by say
| ing that he could not name a definite
1 price, because of the French holdings
He claims that he had not consulted
with the French stockholders, and un
til he did he could not even estimate
the price at which control could be
secured. He went abroad and has
1 inc rot,
| absence sentiment among public men
has unquestionably increased in IA
yor toward the Nicaraguan route. The
commission has made "a preliminary
report indicating that the Nicaragua
| route was the most feasible and the
best for the government to adopt
Within few days Senator Morgan
who has made special study of the
canal question for years. as head of
the senate canal committee, mas spok
en- tayorably of the Nicaragua route.
He has also declared that the Pana-
ma canal people have done nothing
but interfere with the plans of the
government looking to the building on
the Nicaragua route, and have gone
to greater lengths in preventing such
legislation than has any other or
ganization ever dared to 60
Mr.. Hutin upon returning to this
country found matters far from salts
factory President Roosevelt is now
known to favor early action on the ca
nal. There is reason to believe he
will nave the support OF large num-
ber of senators and members in his
position. The canal commission has
estimated the cost of building the
Nicaragua canal at 100000, 900 in
even figures. The investigation of
the commission engineers indicate
that the Panama canal can be complet-
ed for about one hundred and sixty
million dollars. If the cost of the
work already done is brought down to
$50,000,000, as is now indicated, the
two canals would stand on about the
same basis as far as the question of
cost is concerned. =.
The Panama canal people realize
that sentiment among the people of
the country and among members of
congress VINO reflect II, is too strong
TO prevent action on the canal ques-
tion for a long period. 1t has been
openly asserted that up to this time
the Panama company has bent its ef
forts principally to preventing action
favorable to Nicaragua, believing that
eventually enough influence could be
brought to bear to force the price of
S107 900 900 it asked Finding that
even by uniting with the transconti-
mental railroad interests it would be
unable to prevent the selection of the
Nicaragua route, the Panama com
pany is now disposed to meet the Mic
aragua project on the same level and
make the Panama route a possibility
Unless Mr. Hutin decides to accept
for the company $5O.OOO,OOO or less
there is little question in the minds
of those government officials who are
watching the trend of events and the
work of the commission that the Me
aragua route will be adopted by con
gress. The United States could not
be in better position at this time
to take up canal legislation. The is
thmian countries most interested In
the canal routes have made some graf
flying concessions. Secretary Hay
has had the matter in hands at all
times and has not bound this govern
ment even tentatively to any proposl-
ton. By keeping negotiations open
and by receiving and giving careful
attention to representations which
have been made by all countries in
interest, he has brought the United
States into a position 1t could not have
occupied had it not been his policy
to in a measure play one route against
the other.
The international conditions rela-
tive to the Panama route have been
improved during the summer. AT the
time when the Panama route was ui-
der consideration last winter when
congress was in session. 1t was urged
against it that the concessions Sc
cured by the French company would
revert back to the Colombian govern
ment If an attempt was made to In
any way transfer them. 1t was In
n q nf the