The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1902-12-05
THE PANAMA CANAL.
French Company Offers q Good Title
to Its Property.


to Its Property.
The congress has wisely provided that
We shall build at once an iSthmian canal,
If possible at Panama. The attorney gen.
squire 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
during the history of mankind The work
should be carried out as a continuing policy
without regard to change Of administra-
stances which will make it a 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. 1t
will be of advantage to us industria!ly and
also IS improving our military position IT
tropical America. It is earnestly to be
hoped that all of these countries will>do as
nal success. and viii invite to 1 heir shores
commerce and improve their material con-
ditions by recognizing that stability ARD
ORDER are the prerequisites of successful
development. No Independent nation in
America need have the slightest fear of
aggression from the United States. 1t be
its own borders and to discharge its just
obligations to foreigners. When this is
strong or weak. they have nothing to dread
from outside interference. More and more
pexT ef and
nomic relations render 1t incumbent on all
civilized and orderly powers. to insist on
the proper policing of the world.
The Pacific Cable.
During the fall'o 1901 a communication
was addressed to the secretary of state,
asking whether permission would be
granted by the president to a corpora
ton to lay cable from a point on the
California coast to the Philippine islands
by way of Hawaii. A statement of con-
poration would undertake to lay and
operate a cable was volunteered.
Inasmuch as the congress was shortly
had been the subject of consideration by
the congress for several years. it seemed
to me wise to defer action upon the ap-
opportunity to act. The congress ad-
journed without taking any action, leav-
Ing the matter in exactly the same con-
gress convened.
Meanwhile it appears that the Com:
merciai Paedae Gab it company had
laying it's cable. 1t also made applica-
ton to the president for access to and
of ep PSe by u s.
practicable route for a trans-Paciic
cable, the company. urging that with &C
its cable much sooner than If it were
required to take soundings upon it's own
account. Pending consideration of this
ScpJCSI - oppCSticu III poi ldht anu Oe-
sirable to attach certain conditions to
the permission to examine and use the
soundings, If it 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 it was clear that a cable
connection of some kind with China a
foreign country was a part of the COM
pary's plan. This course was moreover
in accordance with a line of precedents,
including President Grants action in the
case of the first French cable, explained
to the congress in his annual message of
December. 1875, and the instance occur
ring in 1879 of the second French cable
from Brest - st. Pierre, with a branch
to Cape Cod.
These conditions prescribed among
other things, a maximum rate for COM
mercial messag es- and that the company
should construct a line from the Phillip
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
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
islands. is thus provided for
and is expected within a few months to
be ready for business.