The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-25

Special Correspondence of The Sunday Republic.
Washington. May 23.-Where shall We
build our great canal across the ithmus?
The answer to this is given in the follow
countries of the principal routes. Each
man thinks his Government has the best
proposition and each has little good to say
of the scheme of the other But 1 shall
let the diplomats speak for themselves.
My first interview was with the Minister
from Nicaragua. His excellency's name is
Senior Louis +. Corea. He is a highly edu-
Gated Central American, who during his
residence in Washington has acquired the
English tongue, so that it was in English
that our conversation was held. Said Se-
nor Corea:
There is no question but that the best
route for the canal is the Nicaraguan route
Your engineers have so decided. and it
seems to me that all the arguments, both
sanitary and financial are in its favor. By
Nicaragua your Pacific and Atlantic States
are nearer each other by two days than
they would be at Panama. A canal there
could be more easily maintained, and in
the end It would be far cheaper than the
Panama route
THE Panama advocates make different
claims" said /.
YES" replied Senor Corea. at is easy
to make any sort of a claim. but more diff
ficult to support it by facts. Let us look
at the facts. The Panama Canal Company
has already spent $3.50 900 and it has
completed about one-fourth of the under
taking. Il is willing to sell that fourth to
the United States for $4,000 0O0 but after
the United States has bought it it has
three-fourth of the canal to make. At the
same rate as the first fourth the expense
would be s72O0o0,O0o. 1t might be done for
less. but the cost will be enormous
$40, 900, 900 of Our Gold
Would Go to France.
There is one thing" continued Senor
Corea, that have not seen mentioned in
the consideration of this Panama PROPOSE
tion. The United States is, 1 know. the
richest country of the world, but can 1t
afford to take 900 right out of its
deal is made your Government will have
to pay $4o.oooooo to the French and you
viii have nothing in return for It but the
chance to spend hundreds of millions more
II you take up the Nicaragua Canal you
will have to spend less money eventually
and the greater part of the money will re-
main right here. 1t will all go toward the
purchase of American machinery and sup
plies. with the exception of the compara-
lively small amount paid out for wages"
But the same will be true of the Pana-
ma Canal will 1t not?"
ITO some extent, but nothing like the
amount which will go into American pock-
cts in the construction of the Nicaragua
Canal. The labor cost at Panama will be
far greater than at Nicaragua The ex-
travagance of the French has ruined labor
conditions there. You will not be able to
get workmen for less than So per day, while
80 cents per day. This means that we can
save you three-fourths of the labor expense
of the work. Our labor is better than that
of Panama. We have the Indians, who are
easily managed; they live upon little and
consequently can work at low wages. They
will not be walking delegates to incite
trouble among the Jamaicans and other
West Indians. whom you import to help
along the work.
Nicaragua All Ready