The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-12-04
THE PANAMA CANAL.
French Company Offers . Good Title
TO Its Property.

The congress has wisely provided that
we shall build at once an lsthmian canal,
IL possible at Panama. The attorney gen
eral reports that We can uncoubtejly 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 oil
the twentieth century; greater engineer
ing feat than has yet been accomplished
during the history Of mankind. The work
should be carried out as continuing policy
without regard 10 change OF acminlstra-
ton; and II should be begun unter circum-
stances which will make It matter Of
pride for all administrations to continue
The canal will be of great benef to Amer
lea, and of importance to all the world. IL
will be OF advantage to US irdustrlaily and
also as improving our military position. IL
will be OF advantage 10 the countries OF
tropical America, II is earnestly TO he
hoped that all OF these countries will 60 As
some OF them have already done with sig
nal success, and will invite TO their shores
commerce and improve their material con-
ditlons by recognizing. that stability ard
ORDER are the prerequisites OF successful
development No Independent nation in
America need have the slightest fear OF
aggression from the United States II be-
hooves each one 10 maintain order within
Its own borders and to discharge its Just
obligations to foreigners, When this is
Gone, they can rest assured that, be they
strong or weak, they have rnthlng to dread
from OutsiCe interference. More and more
the increasing intercepenGenCe and COM
plexity of International political and eco
monte relations render II Incumbent on all
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.
asking whether permission would be
granted by the president to corpora
ton to lay cable from point on the
California coast to the Philippine Islands
by way of Hawaii A statement of con-
ditions or terms upon which such cor
poration would undertake to lay and
operate a 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, II seemed
to me wise to defer action upon the APP
plication until the congress- had first an
opportunity To act. The congress adj
iourned without taking any, action, leav-
ing the matter In exactly the same con-
dition in which It stood when the con-
gress convened.
Meanwhile i appears that the Com
merclal Pacific Gable company had
ernmpl.y prnceeled- with preparsaLttiiaa fer
laying It's cable II also made applica-
tiOn to the president for access t. and
use of soundngs taken by the L. S. s.
Nero. for the purpose of discovering a
cable, the company urging that with ac-
cess to these soundings II could complete
Its cable much sooner than II il were
required to take soundings upon its own
account. Pending consideration Of this
subject II appeared important and de-
sirable to attach certain conditions tn
the permission to examine and use the
soundings, If 1t should be granted.
In consequence of this solicitation OF
the cable company, certain cond tons
were formulated, upon which the presi-
dent was willing to allow access to these
soundngs 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 II was clear that cable
connection Of some kind with China. a
foreign country, was n part of the COM
pany's plan. This course was moreover
in accordance with line of precedents
including President Grants action in the
case of the first French cable, explained
to the congress In his annual message OF
December. 1873, and the instance occur
ring in 1870 of the second French cable
from Brest to St Pierre. with a branch
to Cape Cod.
These conditions prescribed. among
other things maximum rate for com
mercial messages and that the company
pine islands to China, there being al
present as Is well known. a British line
from Manila-tn-Hnng -Itaagr-
The representatives of the cable com.
pany kept these conditions long under
consideration. continuing, in the mean
time, to prepare for laying the cable
They have. however at length accede6
to thems and an all-American line 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 t
be ready for business,