The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-12-06
THE PANAMA CANAL.
French Company Offers n Good Title
TO It's Property.


we shall build at once an isthmian canal.
II possible at Panama. The attorney gen.
eral reports that We can undoubted Oily 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 OF
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 to change OF admins ira
ton; and II should be begun under circum-
stances which will make II matter Of
pride for all Administrations to continue
The canal will be OF great benefit to Amer
lea. and Of Importance to all the world. ~
will be OF advantage to us industriaily ana
also as improving our military position. II
will be Of advantage TO the countries OF
tropical America. 1t is earnestly to be
hoped that all of these countries Will do as
some OF them have already done with Sig
nal success. and Will invite TO their shores
commerce and improve their material con-
ditions by recognizing that stability and
oreer are the prerequisites OF successful
development. No Independent nation In
America need have the slightest fear Of
hooves each one to maintain order With
its own borders and to discharge its Just
obligations to foreigners. When this is
doEe. they can rest assured that. be they
strong or weak, they have nothing to dread
from outside interference. More and more
the increasing inter6ependence and com
plexlty of international political and eco
nomic 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 a communication
was addressed to the secretary of state.
asking whether permission would be
granted by the president to a corpora
'tion to lay a cable from a 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 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, IL seemed
to me wise to defer action upon the APP
plication until the congress had first an
opportunity to act. The congress ad-
ing the matter in exactly the same con-
dition in which II stood when the con-
gress convened.
Meanwhile i appears that the Com.
promptly proceeded with preparations for
laying its cable. 1t also made applfca-
ton to the president for access to and
Nero. for the purpose of discovering a
practicable route for trans-Pacific
cable, the company. urging that with ac-
its cable much sooner than II 1t were
required to take soundings upon its own
account Pending consideration OF this
subject. II appeared important and de-
sIrable to attach certain conditions to
the permission to examine and use the
soundings. IL II should be granted.
In consequence Of this solicitation of
the cable company. certain conditions
were formulated, upon which the presi-
dent was willing to allow access to these
soundings 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 a cable
connection of some kind with China. a
foreign country. was part OF the COM
pany's plan. This course was, moreover,
including President Grants action in the
to the congress in his annual message of
December, 1875, and the instance occur
ring in 1879 Of the second French cable
from Brest to St. Pierre. with branch
to Cape Cod.
These conditions prescribed. among
other things, a maximum rate for COM
mercial messages and that the company
should construct a line from the Philip
pine islands to China. there being at
present. as is well known. a British line
from Manila to Hong Kong.
pany kept these conditions long under
consideration, continuing. In the mean
time. to prepare for laying the cable.
They have, however. at length acceded
to them. 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 to
be ready for business.