Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-12-04
THE PANAMA CANAL.
French Company 9fers a Good Title
to Its Property.

The congress has wisely provided that
if possible at Panama. The attorney gen
eral reports that we can und doubleday ac-,
quire good title from the French Panama
Canal company. Negotiations are now.
pending with Colombia to secure her assent
to our building the canal. This canal will
be one of the greatest engineering feats OF
the twentieth century; greater engineer,
ing feat than has yet been accomplished
during the history of mankind. Fhe work
should be carried out as continuing policy
tion; and it should be begun under circum-
stances which will make it a matter of
pride for all administrations to continue
The canal will be of great benz eft to Amer
lea, and of Importance to all the world. It
will be of advantage to U.s. industriaily and
will be of advantage to the countries OF
tropical America. 1t is earnestly to be
hoped that all of these countries will do S
nal success, and will invite to their shores
commerce and improve their material con-
ditions by recognizing that stability and
pe Nc nation in
America need have the slightest fear of
aggression from the United States. It be-
it's own borders and to discharge it's just
obligations to foreigners. When this is
done, they can rest assured that, be they
strong or weak they have nothing to dread
from outside interference. More and more
the increasing interdependence and COM
plexity Of internationa! political and eco O.,
civilized and orderly powers, to insist on
the proper policing of the world.
The Pacific Cable.
During the fall OF 1901 communication
was addressed to the secretary of state,
granted by the president to a corpora
ton to lay a cable from point on the
California coast to the Philippine islands
by way of Hawaii. A statement of con-
ar r.
poration would undertake to lay and
operate cable was volunteered.
Inasmuch as the congress was shortly
to convene, and Pacific cable legislation
had been the subject of consideration by
the congress for several years, it seemed
to me wise to defer action upon the ap-
opportunity to act The congress. ad-
journed without taking any action, leav-
ing the matter in exactly the same con-
dtion in which it stood when the con-
gress convened.
Meanwhile it appears that the Com
mercial Pacific Gable company had
laying its cable. 1t also made applica--
ton to the president for access to and
use of soundings taken by the U. S. s.
Mere dqT the OF
cable the company urging that with &C
cess to these soundings it could complete
it's cable much sooner than If it were
required to take soundings upon it's own
account. Pending consideration of this
subject, 1t appeared important and de-
sirable to attach certain conditions to
the permission to examine and use the
soundings, if it should be granted.
In consequence of this solicitation of
the cable company. certain conditions
were formulated, upon which the presi-
dent was willing to allow access to these
soundings and to consent to the landing
and laying of the cable, subject to any
alterations or additions thereto imposed
by the congress. This was deemed prop
er, especially as it was clear that q cable
connection of some kind with China 8
foreign country. was a part of the COM
pany's plan. This course was moreover
in accordance with a line of precedents,
including President Grants action in the
case of the first French cable, explained
10 the congress in his annual message of
December, 1875, and the instance occur
ring in 1879 of the second French cable
from Brest to st. Pierre, with a branch
to Cape Cod.
These conditions prescribed, among
other things, a maximum rate for COM
mercial messages and that the company
should construct a line from the Philip
pine islands to China, there being at
present, as is we'll known, a British line
from Manila to Hons Kong.
The representatives Of the cable COM
pany kept these conditions long under
consideration, continuing, in the mean
time, to prepare for laying the cable.
to them, ana an all-American IL, be-
tween our Pacific coast and the Chinese
empire. by way of Honolulu and the
philippine islands. is thus provided for,
and is expected within a few months to
be ready for business.