Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-06-06
HANNA FOR PANAMA ROUTE
sHyE Il is Cheaper Better, Safer and More
PraCroabls Than Nicaragua.
WILL BRING MORE COMMERCE TO UNION
Declares Nicaragua Route Could Not
BE Operated at NiEh1-AdvocnteE
SPooBer Plan Conferr1nE Pur-
chnne Power on President.

fqETASHINGTON. June 5.-In further con
"a. N;iqn of the isthmiRn canal project
~ 2, heard today two speeches,
nei. r.C5,ch was completed. Nj
Hanna "a @Fvor % the spouner
amendment 10y on the president
authority TO p he rights Of the
Panama canal comp4 4 valid title could
I be obtained, Otherwise be shall decide upon
the Nicaragua route Mr. Mitchell sup
ported the Hepburn bin for the construc-
tion of the canal by the Nicaragua route.
| Seldom has q senator been accorded q
more attentive hearing than that given Mr
Hanna The Panama route he considered.
much TO be preferred to the Nicaragua
route as II provided Rn intsr-oceRnic water
wav much shorter and one that could be
| traversed at less expense than the Mica
rGgua route. He maintained that the
United States WIS TO build the canal to
accommodate the commerce uf the world
and said that fact must be taken into con-
lsiderHtion.
Mr.. Mitchell urged thBt unless the Mica
raEuR route was determined upon definitely
/ by congress II would mean the indefinite
and perhaps the ultimate postponsmeu-
Of all canal Legislation He insisted that
the NiCRrREuan route was entirely FEAST
bic and practicable while the Panama route
Involved difficulties which could scarcely
/ be surmounted
/ The senate passed the military academy
appropriation hill providing for extensive
improvements at West Point.
A bill TO redivide the District Of Alaska
into three recording and judicial divisions
was passed.
Want Quickest Transit.
Mr.. Hanna in his canal speech said the
American people having become accustomed
10 the rapid transit Of the railroads. now
demanded quicker transportation on the
seas The experimental stage had been
passed, and the question presented WIS
that Of the best route hy which the canal
was TO be constructed. Mr.. Hanna said be
had shared al first in the common belies
that the Nicaragua route was the only
one 10 be considered. The United States
had been deferred from smbHrkinE on that
project and in the light Of events the fates
Seemed TO him 10 have interfered TO pre-
vent us from making a mistake. The Pana-
ma route wRs only forty-nine miles long
while that Of Nicaragua was 1873 miles IL
length
You build your canal said he, '.to pro-
vide for the passage OF ships from ocean
10 ocean IN the least possible time and
with the least expense"
| We are 10 build this canal for the
1 world" said he. We are to build canal
for the commercial trade Of the world, and
we must take into account the business At
tractsd 10 it from the world"
Seismic Disturbances n Drawback.
Mr.. Hanna referred 10 the seismic dis
turbances IN the canal region and sug-
gested thai those disturbances ought tc
cause the American congress to pause and
consider the suggested dangers seriously.
He maintained that the cost OF the MIC
Eragua canal would be immensely greater
in point Of construction and operation thar
the Panama canal and said he was pre-
pared 10 demonstrate that the NicRragus
canal could not be operated ar night. Mr.
Hanna said that in many respects the same
conditions applied TO both the NicRraguE
and Panama canals.
Discussing the Spooner substitute he de-
MED empathicRlly that II WAS a subtertugs
intended 10 delay and prucrastinate.
Mr.. Hanna, after speaking an hour and
a quarter, pleaded fatigue and, saying be
would continue tomorrow. yielded the fool
to Mr.. Mitchell (ore.), another member o.
the interooeRnic canal committee.
The Oregon senator declared that the con.
struction Of the canal WIS demanded by thi
American people / 3 tone that could not be
misunderstood. He asserted that unless tbs
Hepburn bill were accepted It would NEAR
the indefinite postponement Of any cana
legislation and the possible defeat Of tins
canal project. He maintained that the Mic
RraguR route was absolutely feasible ant
practicable.
A bill appropriating $50 900 for the CON-
pletiun Of q lighthouse and fog signals IL
the paiapscp river MARYLAND was passed.