The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-03-18
v NICARAGUA.


Minneapolis Journal: Senator Nor
CAMS isthmian canal committee voted
yesterday to report to the senate the
Hepburn canal bill, which provides
for the construction of the isthmian
canal by the Nicaraguan route.
This action vas expected and was
foreshadowed ten days ago, when the
subcommittee voted adversely OF the
proposition of the Panama Canal COM
pany to sell it's rights and properties
to the United States for $40, 900, 900.
The subcommittee reported that they
found the complications in the way of
transferring a legal title to II gov
eminent "insurmountable." This COM
mittee, or a majority Of the members,
are unreasonably prejudiced in favor
of the Nicaragua route and would re-
port in favor Of it if it would cost
three or four times as much as the
Panama canal. They do not look at
the canal question from an economic
or business standpoint at all. One of
their reasons for reporting against the
Panama route is that a French law,
enacted in 1888, required the Panama
Canal company to S none but
French machinery in the construction
of the canal. That act was applicable
to the old, defunct canal corporation,
and, if the property is turned yer to
u government, no obsolete French
law can obstruct the use of American
machinery a particle.
Senator Morgan's committee will,
beyond doubt. report the Hepburn bill
favorably to the senate. Of the eleven
members four are in favor of the Pan
ANA route-Hanna, K%ittridge, Pritch-
ard and Willard, while Morgan, Foster,
Harris, Mitchell, Turner, Platt Of New
York, and Hawthorne are, as they
have always been, strong protagonists
of the Nicaragua route. These latter
| gentlemen, however, will not be able
to control the Judgment Of the senate.
In that body a full debate may be had,
as it has no cloture rule to cut off
discussion arbitrarily, and the alleged
| legal complications will have a full
airing and will be found, no doubt, to
exist chiefly in senatorial magma
, lions. The Colombian minister to the
United States at Washington, who,
of course, knows what he is talking
| about. declares that there is no truth
in the report that his government was
hindering the furtherance of Panama
canal construction, and that Colombia
has no objection whatever to the trans
fer Of the franchise and plants from
| the Panama Canal company to the
United States, and will give all requis-
tie consent and welcomes the con-
struction of the work. Colombia will
give as good terms in the way of ces-
sions as can be given by Nicaragua
and Costa RIGA, who have agreed to
grant right of way and other rights
for a consideration of $1,000, 600. The
Colombian government has signified
that it will lease property to our gov
eminent for a term of 200 years, with
privilege of renewal. The considera-
ton has not yet been determined.
The senate will probably vote for
the route which appears to be the
best economically from commercial
and financial standpoints. The recon-
mendation of the Walker Canal
commission favoring the Panama
route, from the engineering stand
point and from the economical stand
point also, has weight with the bust
ness element. The frequency of curves
in the Nicaragua canal route and the
great difficulty of constructing artl'
fetal harbors at Brito and Greytown'
the termini of the canal, and the long
er time of passage are very great OBJ
jecticns to that route.