The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-06
SpOoner Amendment, Giving che
President Authority to Choose
the Panama Route, Advocated.
NICARAGUA WAY TOO LONG
OBJECT OF THE CANAL Is TO BENE-
FIT THE WORLDS COMMERCE,
And the Shortest and Least Expen-
sive Route, He Said, Would Prove
the Most Advantageous.

WASHINGTON, June SIN further con-
sideration of the isthmian canal project,
the Senate to-day heard two speeches,
neither of which was completed. Mr.. Han
ma spoke in favor of the Spooner amend
ment, comforting on the President authority
to purchase the rights of the Panama
Canal Company If a valid title could be
obtained, otherwise he shall decide upon
the Nicaragua route. Mr.. Mitchell sup
ported the Hepburn bill for construction
of the canal by the Nicaragua route. Sell
dom has a senator been accorded a more
attentive hearing than that given Mr.. Han
ma. The Panama route he considered much
to be preferred TO the Nicaragua route
as it provided an interoceanic waterway
much shorter and one that could be ira
versed at less expense than the Nicaragua
route. He maintained that the United
States was to build the canal TO accommo-
date the commerce of the world, and said
that fact must be taken into account. The
Ohio senator said the American people,
having become accustomed to the rapid
transit of the railroads, now demanded
quicker transportation on the seas. The
experimental stage had been passed, and
the question now presented was that of
the best route by which the canal was to
be constructed. Mr.. Hanna said he shared
at first in the common belief that the
Nicaragua route was the only one to be
considered. The United States had been
deferred from embarking on that project,
and in the light of events the fates seemed
to him to have interfered to prevent us
from making a mistake. The Panama route
was only forty-nine miles long, while that
of Nicaragua was 1873 miles in length.
SHORTEST ROUTE THE BEST.
You build your canal" said he Ito pro-
vide for the passage of ships from ocean
to ocean in the least possible time and at
the least expense" A canal constructed on
such lines, he insisted. meant success. He
said he was looking at the proposition for
its commercial advantages, well its
advantages as a means Of defense. 1--WE
are to build this canal for the world" said
he. I'VE are to build canal for the COM
merce of the world. and we must take into
account the business attracted to it from
the world" BY stubborn facts and by the
findings of the best engineers in the coun-
try he had been compelled to change his
views, which originally had been in favor
of the Nicaragua route.
Mr.. Hanna referred TO the seismic dis
turbances in the canal region and sug-
geSted that those disturbances ought TO
cause the American Congress TO pause and
consider the suggested dangers seriously.
He referred to the maps arranged around
the walls OF the chamber, showing the
number of active and inactive volcanoes in
the canal region, demonstrating that there
were more volcanoes in the neighborhood
of the Nicaragua route than in that of the
Panama route. He maintained that the
cost of the Nicaragua canal would be i'm
mensely greater in point of construction
and operation than the Panama canal, and
said he was prepared to demonstrate that
the Nicaragua canal could not be operated
at night. Mr.. Hanna said that in many
respects the same conditions applied 10
both the Nicaragua and Panama canals.
Discussing the Spooner substitute, he de-
MED emphatically that ii was a subterfuge
intended to delay and procrastinate. He
explained that if the President was not
satisfied with the Panama Canal Company $
title he could proceed to build the canal by
the Nicaragua route provided that all con-
ditions and concessions were satisfactory
1t was understood, of course, that the
United States did not propose to go ahead
with the canal project, except with clean
sheet. BY either route he believed the canal
would be power for the peace of the world
and he had no fear of any interference with
the United States or any of its citizens en-
gagged in the canal construction by any
foreign power.
MR. MITCHELL'S ADDRESS.
Mr. Hanna, after speaking an hour and a
quarter, pleaded fatigue, saying he would
continue tomorrow. and yielded the floor
to Mr. Mitchell member of the inter
oceanic canal committee. The Oregon SEN
ator declared that the construction of the
canal was demanded by the American peo-
pie in a tone that could not be misunder,
stood He asserted that unless the Hep
burn bill! was accepted, ii would mean the
indefinite postponement of any canal legis.
lation and the possible defeat OF the cana
project He maintained that the Mica.
ragua route was absolutely feasible ano
practicable.
Mr.. Mitchell said that if shippers could
send their products from the Pacific coast
to Europe by way of an isthmian cana
sailing vessels would be employed where
now only steamers were used. thus reduc-
ing enormously the freight rates now paid
by the Pacific coast He maintained that
sailing, vessels could not go through the
Panama canal without the assistance OF
calms Mr.. Mitchell declared the authori.
ties indicated that the danger from eartn-
uuakes was 100 per cent. greater in the re-
gion of the Panama route than in that OF
the Nicaraguan route. In neither case
however was the danger sufficient &C
render hazardous the construction of the
canal.
A bill appropria ting $4,000 for the com
pletion of a lighthouse and fog signal sta.
ton in the Patapsco river, Maryland, and
the Military Academy appropriation bill
providing for extensive improvements Al
West Point, were passed.
The Senate, at o'clock, went into eX
ecutive session and soon afterward ad
iourned.