Evening star., 1902-03-05
ISSUE TO BE PUSHED
EFFECT OF REPORT ON TITLE To
PANAMA CONCESSIONS.
Believed That the Nicaragua Route 10
Preferred by Large Majority
Fresh Protocols Necessary.

All indications today point to the prob"
ability that the Hepburn bill. practically
as it was passed by the House OF Repre-
sentatives, providing for the construction
of an interoceanic canal across Nicaragua
and Costa Rca will be passed by the Sem
ate if a vote can be obtained on the
measure. There is a strong feeling in favor
of pushing this issue to a conclusion in
such a way that the Senate will have an
opportunity to act on the canal bill, and
every effort will be made by the friends
of the proposed canal TO see that no OBJ
structive measure of any kind shall be
allowed to stand in the way of action.
The Report on Title.
The report of the subcommittee on the
title that could be given by the new Pana-
ma Canal Company TO its property on the
isthmus will be of such a nature that ie
will have a very conclusive influence on
senators who have long studied this ques-
ton. There is no doubt that 1t will Do
adopted by the full committee on inter-
oceanic canals, and its adoption Will Dc
with the vote of influential republican
members of that committee. There IS
strong tendency among all members OF tho
committee who favor canal at Nicaragua
to have the Hepburn bill reported without
amendment That bill has twice been
passed by the House of Representatives
and has received great deal or considef-
alton In committee on the House slue.
While some objections were at hrst maue
to it by Senator Morgan ne mas since ue-
clared that he is satisfied with 1t. III any
senator should desire when the Dill Is III
the Senate to amend II TO any extent tnae
would not jeopardize it's main purpose ie
is understood that no opposition Will De
placed in the way Of such a proceeding.
Mr.. Spooner's Amendment.
fotr
amendment. placing upon the President OF
the United States the responsibility of de-
Gliding whether a clear title to the canal
property at Panama by the new Panama
Canal Company, and authorizing him to
purchase the property at Panama. II satls-
fed with the title, and in the event that
a satisfactory title could not be passed, to
acquire necessary rights for building the
canal through Nicaragua, the whole mat
ter was in a very different condition from
that ip which ii is presented today. Ihat
amendment was introduced in order to facil.
itate action on the canal question 1t was
introduced with the idea that the exam-
ination into the title that could be given
by the new Panama company could be car
ried on by the President instead of by Con-
gress, and with the purpose of securing
prompt aceion in the matter. Now that a
Senate committee has made a very ex-
haustive study of the question of the
its property and has decided for many rea-
sons that it cannot give a satisfactory
title to the United States government, the
situation is entirely changed Senator's
who take a deep interest in the canal ques-
ton declare that it would be almost cow
ardly for Congress at this time to place
upon the President of the United States
the responsibility of deciding which canal
route should be selected. They declare
that the President could have no better ad-
vice regarding the nature of the title that
could be given to the canal property than
will be in the possession Of the Senate
when the report OF tts committee has been
laid before it. For these reasons the
Spooner amendment is declared by many to
be out of date today.
Democrats for Nicaragua.
In a general way it may be stated that
the democratic side of the Senate will be
almost unanimously in favor Of the MIC
araguan canal route. On the republican
side it is believed that a very large major
ity will favor the Nicaraguan route. and
men VINO have kept in touch with the sen-
timent prevailing in the Senate believe that
the Hepburn bill will be passed by a large
majority If 1t can be voted upon.
few more witnesses will be heard by
the committee on interoceanic canals Of
the Senate. but 1t is believed that by nexe
Monday. which is the regular meeting day
mittee will be in such shape that the work
OF deciding upon its report can be entered
into. 1t is not thought that there will be
any considerable delay on the part of the
committee in making a report to the Sem
ate. If the Hepburn bill is reported, as 1t
probably will be. it will then be only a
question of giving ii the right of way so
that it may be acted upon in the near fu-
ture.
New Protocol for Nicaragua Route.
Every fresh turn in the development OF
the isthmian canal project appears to dis
close a new obstacle. 1t now appears that
the protocols negotiated last spring with
Nicaragua and Costa Rica, whereby those
countries outlined the terms upon which
they were prepared to enter into perma-
nent treaties with the United States con-
yeying the necessary rights for canal con-
struction, are no longer of effect. Condt-
tions have changed since then, and when-
ever the balance OF opinion seems to In
cline toward the one route or the other for
the canal the government interested In the
favored route suddenly hardens it's terms,
and is disposed to abandon past agree
ments. Therefore 1t will be necessary to
draw up new protocols not only for the
Panama canal with Colombia. but for the
Nicaragua canal with Costa Rica and Mic
aragua, in pursuance of the State Depart
ments policy Of placing 1t within the
power of Congress to freely choose either
route.