The Van Buren press., 1902-12-06
THE PANAMA CANAL.
French Company Offers n Good Title
to It's Property.

The congress has wisely provided that
We shall build at once an isthmian canal,
If possible at Panama, The attorney gen
eral reports that We can uncoubteuIy ac-
Quire good title from the French Panama
Canal company, Negotiations are now
pending with Colombia TO secure her assent
10 our building the canal. This canal Will
be one Of the greatest engineering feats oil
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 adminlstra-
ton; and it should be begun unGer clrcum-
stances which will make 1t matter OF
pride for all administrations to continue
the policy.
The canal will be OF great benefit to Amer
lea, and OF importance to all the world. II
viii be OF advantage TO us industrially and
also as improving our military position, 1t
tropical America. II is earnestly to be
hoped that all Of these countries Will do as
some of them have already done with sig
commerce and improve their material con-
ditions by recognizing that stability anG
order are the prerequisites, OF successful
development, No Independent nation IN
aggression from the United States. 1t be
hooves each one to ma aintain order within
its own borders and to discharge Its just
obligations TO foreigners. When this Is
UONe, tney can rest dSsuTtN lHdt, NC tLty
strong or weak, they have nothing to dread
from outside Interference. More and more
the increasing intercepenGence and com
plexity Of international political and eco
nomic relations render 1t incumbent on all
civilized and orderly powers to insist on
the proper policing Of the world,
The Pacific Gable.
During the fall of 1901 a communication
was addressed to the secretary of state.
asking whether permission would be
granted by the president to corpora
tion to lay cable from a point on the
California coast to the Philippine Islands
by way Of Hawaii A statement of con-
dtions or terms upon which such cor
poration would undertake to lay and
operate a 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 II seemed
to me wise to defer action upon the ap-
plication until the congress had first an
opportunity to act. The congress ad-
journed without taking any action, leav-
ing the matter in exactly the same con-
dtion in which it stood when the con-
gress convened.
Meanwhile i appears that the Com,
mercial Pacific Gable company had
promptly proceeded with preparations for
laying its cable. 1t also made applica-
tion to the president for access to and
use OF soundings taken by the U. 5, 8.
Nero, for the purpose OF discovering a
practicable route for a trans-Pacific
cable the company urging that with ac-
cess to these soundlngs 1t could complete
its cable much sooner than II 1t were
required to take soundings upon its own
account Pending consideration of this
subject, It appeared important and de-
sirable to attach certain conditions to
the permission to examine and use the
soundings, II 1t should be granted.
In consequence of this solicitation OF
the cable company, certain Cond tions
were formulated, upon which the nresi