Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-02
ANXIOUS FOR CANAL LEGISLATION.

creased valuation.
ANXIOUS FOR CANAL LEGISLATION.
President Roosevelt is said to be ex-
ceedingly anxious that congress shall
act upon the canal question at the pres
ent session, 1t being feared that If the
natter goes over until next session il
will not be disposed of during the life of
this congress. 1t is understood that the
president has no choice between Panama
and Nicaragua, but he is very DESTROYS
that the canal should be authorized by
this congress and the question thu dis
posed of instead of being allowed to
take its chances in a new congress. 1t
has been intimated that the president
might urge action in a special message,
but the disposition of republican leaders
in the senate to accept his view seems
to render unnecessary any special APP
peal to congress.
Certainly the republicans in either
house ought to see the expediency Of
disposing of this question during the
life of the present congress, since should
the succeeding house of representatives
be democratic there would be doubt
that any positive action would be taken
for another two years. 1t is pointed
out that while as a rule the southern
states favor the construction of an
isthmian canal, diversion would be
easily caused by party opposition to the
Philippine policy. Congress is in posses
sion of all the information necessary
to enable 1t to determine the matter.
There Is nothing more to be learned as
to the relative merits of the routes.
Everything relating to them is most
fully presented in the report of the
Isthmian Canal commission. The terms
and conditions upon which concessions
can be obtained for the respective
routes are also known. Both routes are
practicable. Each has some distinctive
advantage, but either would serve the
purposes for which an interoceanic
canal is necessary.
Preference is largely a question of
cost. The commission at first reported
In favor of the Nicaragua route, but
when the Panama company offered to
transfer it's property to the United States
for what is regarded as a reasonable
sum and its ability to give a clear title
was demonstrated, the commission
recommended the Panama route. I'm
q~uestionably the Panama canal can be
aonS4r,IofaH M uaru nn,toh Loco ,nef thon
the Nicaraguan canal and also in a
much shorter time. The engineering
difficulties are certainly no greater, if
so great, in the former than in the
latter route. Senator Morgan, in his
recent speech on the subject, pointed
out the dangers that would menace the
Panama canal. They are not more seri-
Gus than would threaten the Nicaragua
canal, as the earthquake in that region
a few days ago very strongly sug
gested. The Nicaragua-Co Rican-
Guatemalan is pre-eminently an earth
quake belt. There has been no des-
.structive earthquake on the Panama
isthmus In more than three centuries.
From a commercial point of view there
is little choice between the routes and
so far as military considerations are
concerned one would be quite as serv-
iceable as the other. In the matter of
concessions we shall perhaps be able to
secure as satisfactory terms from Co.
lombia as from Nicaragua and Costa
Rica.
There appears to be no good reason,
therefore. why the canal question should
not be determined and disposed of by
this congress at the present session.
If, however, the matter cannot be de-
cided by congress the compromise prop
osition for leaving it to the determine
ton of the president, as provided in the
Spooner resolution, should be adopted.