Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-16
URGE PANAMA R0U|[
The Isthmian Commission 10
Hold Special Meeting to Con-
slider French Offer.
May Make a New Report Favor.
ing Panama Route For
the Ditch.
Congress. However. Believed to
Be Committed to the MIC
aragua Route.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 16-There will
he special meeting of the isthm;an ca
nal commission today for the express
purpose of considering the latest propo-
sition OF the French people to sell their
rights in the Panama canal for the lump
sum of $4000O,000. There is every reason
TO believe that the commission, which
already has reported in favor of the Mic
aragua route across the isthmus, will
row change it's mind and report in favor
Of the Panama canal line.
This is due entirely to the revised Of
fer of the French shareholders to sell
out all their interests in the canal for
$i0.000000.
Rear Admiral Walker and his COM
mission declared in the first place that
they might have favored the Panama
canal except for the exorbitant price set
upon it by the French owners. Now
Walker and his associates believe they
have accomplished great feat in in-
ducing the Frenchmen to cut their price
down to about one-third Of the original
figure.
The majority Of the commission fa-
vored the Panama route in case It could
be bought for s6o.000000. Now that It
has forced the Frenchmen to go down 20
$40, ,0OO, 600 the commission will favor the
Panama route as being best under all
circumstances.
This does not mean that the Panama
route necessarily will be selected. Inere
IS strong feeling in congress. Dotn IN
the house and in the senate. that, II the
French people have spent over $zVV,VVV,VVu
on canal by way of Panama, and nave
been unable to complete the work, put
ore willing to sell out all their rights Tor
sac. 600 600. it must be because the proJect
az a whole is nearly or quite hopeless.
MANY members Of congress DeaeVe
that the United States would 90 Wen 70
take the Nicaragua route II for no otner
reason than because 1t is nearest to TINS
country. Besides that they fee4 enas
American engineers probably would
work better II they undertook an en-
t,rely original problem, such as tnas
across the isthmus at Nicaragua. instead
o. attempting to push to comp!esaon ,ns'
work begun, and now practically aDan-
doned. by the most distinguished ensi-
reers of the French republic. =,
a strong argument will be mace IA
favor of Nicaragua on the tneory .na
pear A Admtral Walker and the members
of his commission simply were tsAsn
across the isthmus at Panama ON tne
va ;lroad and only viewed the work ztnels
from a special car. On the oener naiiu's
,hav depended for their opinion reSaru
inc the Nicaragua route entirely on tle
rar,ort of exploring engineers, aitno' !.
;e aid that no member of the canai
commission. actually has made per-
sonal investigation of the Nicarasua
ro,te IT is also asserted In congress
with considerable positiveness tnat X
Gao f,p 900 had been expended ALREADY
an the Nicaragua route much DETER
showing could be made than that py
The so-called Panama canal UP IL
date.
The report of the commission in IA
yor of the Panama route undouoteoly
will be made in all honestly OF purpose
and for that reason it is likely TO pre-
c,n,tate a debate In congress Whicn may
nrevent the passage Of any canal al the.
present session.
Inasmuch as this is.what the trans
continental railroads have been endeaV-
o,.ine TO accomplish, the friends OF the
Nicaragua canal are now more persis-
tart than ever in declaring that tns
whole scheme was originated for the
cypress purpose of delaying action on
the canal. Whether this be true or not
Il 10 nuite evident that prospects for I'M
,,ad;ate work on the canal are now far
,ass bright than they were two or three
months ago. owing to the Panama
stockholders offer to sell their inter-