The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-27
The IsTHMlANz CANAL y

The lsTHMlANsCA CANAL 3ss {s5ssgssi
The favorable action OF the house sand
senate conferees, agreeing upon the SEN
ate canal bill, and the acceptance Of the
report of the conferees by the house by
the decisive vote Of 252 to 8, strengthen
greatly the prospect of canal construction
at an early date.
The adoption of the Panama route was
not agreeable to Senator Morgan and Mr..
Hepburn, who have worked hard and
heroically for the Nicaragua route, lead
ing in the fight In their respective houses,
but they and other advocates of that
route gracefully and patrioticaHy yielded
to the Panama pressure and voted for
the report of the conferees. Mr.. Hepburn
carried his Nicaragua bill very success
fully through the house last January.
Both he and Senator Morgan conceded
yesterday that a canal following the
Panama route is, after all, preferable to
no canal whatever, and, at one time, 1t
looked as If there would be an adjourn
ment of the canal subject until next win
ter. It Is matter Of congratulation
that the conferees arrived at decision
without wearying and protracted dis
cussion. - = 1'... >.-s+s .as 'sS
1t is not absolutely certain, however,
that the canal will be constructed via
Panama. There are yet certain diff
culties in the way. The treaty with the
United States Of Colombia which has been
drafted, is far from satisfactory, chiefly
undivided control and authority over the
strip of territory through which the
canal Is to be constructed, and there are
enough senator's opposed to divided con-
troll to defeat the arrangement when the
treaty comes up for ratification. The
clause leaving the matter of annual
rental Of the strip to arbitration is OBJ
jectionable, and most senators favor the
inclusion of the rental terms In the
treaty itself, where they belong natural
ly. The majority of the committee on
Interoceanic canals OF the senate have
already reported at length on the ques-
tions touching the Panama Canal COM
pany's title to the property it proposes
to transfer to our government in case that
route is chosen, and the report. being the
expression of the Nicaragua route advo-
Gates, naturally placed all the lions in
the way Of the Panama project conceiva-
BILE; but the minority examined care
fully all the rumors as to a fight by the
old shareholders, who subscribed $780,
000, 900 to the old Panama company, to get
necessity of consulting the French gov
ernnaent, ETC., and they reported that the
title Of the Panama Canal company is
clear and unassailable, having been de.
rived through legal proceedings regularl,
conducted In accordance with the 2princi
old claims have been disposed of, and 1t Ii
only necessary to secure the consent o
the congress of the United States o.
Colombia to the transfer of the property
by the canal company, to our govern
ment, and assurances have been received
from that government that this will bt
done. All the talk of the Nicaragua
route champions about the bringing up 0
old claims by the former Maritime Cana
company, of which Warner Miller wa
president, against the United States, il
empty and baseless. Our government wa
never under any obligation to take any o
the inchoate work Of that company II
Nicaragua off its hands. Unless Cplombi;
| interpose obstacles to the acquisition o
| territory in the state of Panama for th
| canal work, it is probable that the long
| talked-of canal will be undertaken by tn
| practical and pushing American nation.
| So long ago as 1888, the Spanish his
| torian Acorta replied to the suggestion
| Of Cortes that a channel be cut througl
the isthmus at the narrowest point, tina
| mo human power would be sufficient t.
cut through the strong and impenetrabl
bounds which God has put between tn
two oceans, Of mountain and iron rocks
which can stand the fury of the ragin
| seas Neither Cortes, nor .Acorta ha
any conception of the. tremendous powe
of modern engineering skill.