Evening star., 1902-03-15
COLOMBIA CRITICISED
STUMBLING BLOCK TO ADVO.
GATES OF THE PANAMA ROUTE.
Concessions to BE Obtained for Canal
Right of Way-Greed May
Defeat Itself

The next move on the part of the advo-
Gates of a canal on the Panama route in
stead of through Nicaragua and Costa
Rica will be to obtain from the government
I of Colombia some proposition for salts
factory concession which, will allow this
country to proceed promptly with the plan
for canal at Panama. II Congress can be
induced to accept that route and to pay
$4O,ONOOO to the Papama Canal Company
| for its property. The friends of the Pan
anna project do not disguise their disgust
! with the attitude that has been assumed by
Colombia. and declare that that country
has far overestimated the value of a con-
cession to build canal there.
They declare that Colombia because of
desire to make a favorable deal with this
country, and in fact. to drive as hard
bargain as possible in that transac ton, has
been the greatest stumbling block they have
experienced. They are convinced that Con-
gress will provide for the building of an
interoceanic canal in the near future. and
unless Colombia can act promptly they feel
that they can put nothing in the way of
providing for a canal at Nicaragua, as
stipulated in the Hepburn bill, which has
been favorably reported to the Senate by
the committee on interoceanic canals
They have not only the Colombia govern
! ment to deal with. but even if that govern
ment should be willing to accept terms they
regard as reasonable then the Colombian
congress would have to act before this coun-
try could secure satisfactory concession.
The concessions that have been granted by
Colombia to the Panama Canal Company
are In the form of laws passed by the con-
gress of that country, and they could be
amended or extended only tt means of an
act of the Colombian congress-. Even If
the Colombian minister, In behalf of his
government should finally agree to some
reasonable terms r0nrASSt0n
agreement would amount to nothing until
the Colombian congress had acted.
Perpetual Control Wanted.
The entire discussion in the Senate over
the two HayPauncefote treaties showed a
strong sentiment for building a canal only
over route controlled In perpetuity by
the United States. The action of Colombia
so far has been only to grant lease, and
although the term Of the lease as discussed
has been for 100 or 200 years, such prop
osition would not meet with favor by many
of the leaders of the Senate. They will in
SiSt that nothing but a perpetual control
over the canal route will answer the pur-
pose of this country, and say that if they
should agree to anything else they would
be playing a part of inconsistency in view
Of their insistence on the feature of a per
petual control which was made when deal
ing with Great Britain
Chagrin of Commissioner.
A prominent member Of the isthmian ca
nal commission. in discussing this subject
plainly showed his chagrin over the gen
eral attitude that has been taken by Co
lombia. He is an advocate Of the Panama
route, and expressed his satisfa ction that
Minister Concha had finally pres stnted his
credentials to the State Department. There
is a general impression that the delay in
presenting his credentials was in order to
delay negotiations in relation to the Pan
anna canal concession.
1T is a fair inference that there is the
same disposition the part of Colombia
to give the United States the privileges
which it requires in order To construct a
canal across the 1sthmus Of Panama that
there is on the part of Nicaragua and
Costa Rica," said this member Of the 18TH
mian canal commission in discussing this
subject today
Both are as anxious can be In the
matter. Both desire to get the canal and
each regards the other as its rival. Months
ago Colombia authorized the Panama Ca
nal Company to engage with the United
States for the sale of its property and un-
finished work, Notwithstanding the pro-
hibitory clause in the concession. The re-
suit of these negotiations has been the Of .
fer of the French company. made Substan-
TALLY with the consent of Colombia. 1t is
therefore, idle to say that after going that
far Colombia is not anxious to go on and
conclude it. The difficulty is as to the
compensation the government will try to
get from the United States.
"They have very exaggerated idea in
Bogota of what they get and Mr. Con-
cha, has been sent here with the expectation
that he can accomplish more than Minst er
Silva 1t is rather significant that he has
been quiescent since his arrival in Wash
ington. If he is a prcdent man he will try
to understand the situation and when he
does 1t is fair to suppose that he will real
ize that Minister Silva was getting all that
he could in the way of compensation
''Of course Mr. Concha must realize that
unless he accepts such terms as the United
States is willing to offer the canal will go
to Nicaragua. There is to bc u canal bill
of some kind passed and if Colombia will
not deal with the United States on fair
terms Nicasarua canal of course, Will be
the result"