The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-08
Hepburn Defended Plan for Near
aguan Route and Opposed the
Panama Proposition.
SPIRITED TILT WITH CANNON.
Morris Filed Notice That He
Would Submit Amendment Au-
thoriZing President 10 Pur-
chase Panama Route.

| Washington. Jan. The debate ON the
| Nicaragua Canal bill in the House was
| opened in lively fashion to-day by Mr.. Hep
| burn. chairman Of the Interstate ard For
eign Commerce Commission, which re-
| ported the bill.
| For two hours he held the floor. replying
| to a volley of questions concerning the re-
! cent offer OF the Panama Canal Company
to sell its property and franchises TO tie
] United States for Si3.0o40Sl. The interest
| in the debate centered almost entirely in
this new phase of the subject
Mr.. Hepburn maintained that the alleged
new offer of the Panama company was
part of the plan OF delay. All his utter
ances along that line We're literally ap-
plauded. He pointed out what he claimed
was the suspicious circumstances that the
Panama company held out for go
until it was decided before the holiday
recess to consider the Nicaragua bill. and
then suddenly dropped the price to $4,000, :
Geo.
Mr. Morris Of Minnesota gave notice that
at the proper time he would offer an amend
ment to authorize the President, II he could
procure tke property and rights of the
Panama Company for s40oJo.oJc, IL conces-
cessions could be procured from Colombia.
and If the Walker Commission so recon-
mended to purchase and proceed to COM
p!ete the Panama Canal
The other speakers to-day were Messrs.
Davis of Florida. Richardson of Alabama,
Mann of Illinois and Adams of Pennsyl-
vaaia.
Scope OF Hepburn Bill.
Mr.. Hepburn said the report OF the
Walker Commission gave careful consid-
Grafton to every feature of the work. The
bill submitted by his committee proposed to
concentrate all authority in the hands of
the President. 1t opened no opinion for
defunct statesmen or the payment of pen
sions for persons who had passed the race
of life. 1t gave the United States the au-
thority 10 protect. defend and operate The
canal. In view OF all the reports submit
ted. Mr.. Hepburn said. there could now be
no question in the mind of any well-in-
formed man Of the feasibility and pracu-
cability of an interoceanic canal.
Panama Project Criticised.
Referring to the efforts of the Panama
Canal Company to build a canal by private
enterprise, he summed up their efforts as
follows:
The company raised s2Js.OOo,Ooo by the
sale Of s455, 0o.0G0 of bonds and after eight
years the managers of the company found
themselves Win lne EOrh less IMAM one
fourth completed. penniless and bankrupt
in money and character
The disaster to this company. he said.
proved conclusively that the work should
be undertaken by governmental agency.
Favors NicaraEuan Route.
Mr.. Hepburn pointed out the advantages
Of the Nicaragua route for sailing vessels,
on account of the better winds prevailing
there. contendinG, in this connection, that
1t was mistake to suppose that the sail
ing ship was destined to disappear from the
ocean. Where the Panama route is located
sailing ships sometimes lay for five months
In the doldrums. When Mr.. Hepburn said
he had hoped that the proposed waterway
would be free of charge to American ships
there was an outburst of applause on the
Republican side. II that might be done, he
said, II would give a great impetus to
American shipping.
In concluding, Mr.. Hepburn said there
might be some interests in the United
States which believed they would be
harmed by the rivalry of this canal, and
there were gentlemen of honest purpose
who thought the time was not ripe for the
building of the canal. or that an enterprise
of such magnitude should not he under
taken. They were perhaps terrified by the
specter of scandal.
But he concluded. Il insist that the
American people have made their decree
that the canal shall be built, and that now
is the time to build IT." (Applause)
After Mr. Hepburn had concluded his set
speech he was besieged with questions.
Right of Fertilization.
Mr.. Shafroth of Colorado: II should like
to know what is the gentleman's construc-
tion upon this bill. and upon the late treaty
that has been ratified as to the power of
the United States to fortify the canal?'
Mr.. Hepburn: II have not any doubt
about the right of the United States to de-
fend that canal. and to do IL in the way
that involves the erection of Qualifications
at the ternlinf of the canal. or of stockades |
at the sites of the important works. have |
no doubt about the authority OF the United
States to do it, and that it would exercise |
that authority |
Mr.. Fowler of New Jersey asked If II was |
possible we could allow American ships to |
pass through the canal without charge.
Mr.. Hepburn replied: Il have no doubt |
that the United States can use that canal !
in a manner advantageous to its own peo- |
pie above the advantage that it would be |
to other peonIe. At all events. Government |
ships will go through free, and. at all |
events, there IS that trend in the air on |
the part of other nations toward yielding |
to the desires of the United States that |
rier of that kind now We would brush it |
out of the way pretty SOON" tApplause) |
As to EnEland's Privileges.
Mr.. Cummings of New York: II should |
like to ask whether. in your opinion. il |
your bill should be passed. under the treaty |
that has been ratified by the Senate. Eng |
land would have any special privileges IN |
the canal over other nations?''
Mr.. Hepburn: II think not"
Mr.. McDermott of New Jersey called at |
tention to the statement in the report OF |
the Walker Commission giving the cast 3 @ of !
the IAnama canal property as $685. |
and the newspaper reports that the COM |
pany now offered to sell the property for |
Si0.0O0000. If the latter report were true the |
Panama canal would cost less than the |
Nicaragua and he asked if Mr.. Hepburn |
did not believe that. with equal cost: the |
commission would have reported in favor |
of Panama. |
Mr.. Hepburn replied that the commission |
had stated the respective advantages of |
both routes under conditions then existing. |
He could not tell what the commission |
would have reported under other circum- |
stances. ANY gentleman who absorbs the
commissions report" said he, "and weighs |
1t. must believe that. other things being
equal, the canal that IL 400 miles nearer our
onrritary. that makes New Orleans $50 piles