Evening star., 1902-05-24


been exporting meat to Cuba and others of
the West India Islands
"Our people realize that the canal would
benefit them. They believe it will double
crease the prosperity of the country. We
have no doubt but that it will eventually
be built through our territory
Chat With the Colombian Minister.
1 had an interview on this same sub
minister from Colombia, who left Wash
ington some weeks ago. He told me that
Colombia was very anxious that the canal
should be built and that it was anxious to
give any concessions which would lead to
the choice of the Panama route. Said he:
I'VE feel that a canal will eventually go
through the Isthmus of Panama and that
ii your country does not make it some
other parties Will. What we want is to see
the United States buy out the French, and
we believe that you will find it to your in
terest to do
Suppose the United States does that,
Senor Silva" said l. what will she get
that she would not have on the Nicaragua
route?'
''She would have the difference between
something and nothing. All the advan-
tages are with the Panama route. It is
the shortest route. the most economical
route, the route with the fewest locks and
the route that could be maintained at the
lowest cost. 1t is a route that has been
les1en by experiments and actual work.
ihe Nicaragua line is absolutely unde-
veloped. Surveys have been made. but no
practical experiments have shown the pos
slbie expense of construction You know
o. the railroad tunnel which they are now
making IN New York. Before that tunnel
was dug all sorts of borings and experi-
ments We're made and upon the basis of
these an estimate was formed of it's prob
able cost. -@ p-o'
hen the work was done it was found
that the estimate was $40 600 coo below the
hgures of the engineers The railroad tun-
mel was but very short. The Nicaragua
Sahai survey extends over many miles 1t
mas mas peen made in an unknown country and
you can't tell how far the figures Of tho
engineers will be from the actual cost. They
can flSure as to what they can see hut they
cannot calculate all the difficulties that
may come up
"On the Panama canal work has been
done along the whole line. A great mart of
1t has been dredged. and the mountains
nave oeen actually cut down. Already two
h1ths OF the canal has been completed. and
you can hgure out the cost of the remainder
almost TO the cent. large force has been
az work for the last five years and hun-
areas of men are there working today. The
property 1s in good working condition
one set of managers can easily stem out
ana another begin their labor on few
weeks notice"
what the French Have at Panama.
But does the work of the French amount
TO much. your eXcellency?" 1 asked
L think 1t does" replied Senior Silva
lhose who have not been over the line of
the canal do not appreciate its value. When
the canal was started an enormous amount
OF rel1mlnary work had to be done before
th' al operations could commence. Houses
n " to be built for the officials and work
t,t II. 1here was no timber to speak of and
the most IF the lumber was brought from
the United States. Some of the houses
We're nnlShed in the United States and sent
IN pieces to Panama and there put together
hospitals had to be erected and you find
theSe now at both ends of the line A city
grew up at Colon and that at Panama in
creased In size. so that today YOU nave
houses hospitals, offices and cities with
winch to do your work
1ou have also the Panama railroad
ready to transport materials and to Law
thefn down along the line of the canal This
road Is we'll equipped and running 1t was
constructed in the early nfties, when the
present sanitary arrangements had not
been made and it consequently cost an
enormous loss of life. A similar road VIII
nave to be built along the line of the Nicar-
aqua canal If YOU choose that route and il
VIII cost many lives to construct If Tho
fanama road and canal have led to settle
ments along the line and the excavations
nave aided in draining the low!ands so that
the country there is healthful today. We
have had no yellow fever TO sneak of for
some years, and / feel safe in saving that
there is now no danger to the health Of
Americans at Panama"
The Labor Question.
But suppose we buy the canal. senior
can you supply the labor needed to com
plete 1t ?"
Yes. There will be no trouble in getting
,ri
from Jamaica and others of the West In
dies Islands and we can supplv nucb from
Colombia itself. We have \ large nrmb.r
OF IDLE people who would seek work of Won
ana the employment of these would take
away part of our revolutionary forces If
would render the government secure and
would gradually make Colombia the richest
and most important of the South Ameri
can states"
But the Isthmus of Panama is thinly
populated. is it nOt?" said +
NO. It has more inhabitants than noos+
people think replied Senor Silva. '"rhe
lsthmus of Panama belongs to n nro,,ince
Whlch mas an area four times as big as
i'i,sS iassschuselts- There are parts of it which
nave great natural resources. and. together
with the rest of Colombia, 1t will furnish an
enormous field for American capital"
suppose the Panama canal is chosen will
Colombia p SIS III
II should think So" replied the Colombian
minister. minister The canal would bring our coun-
tries t closer together. 1t would cement the
friendly relations which now Obtain he
tween us and We should naturally favor
American capital and American immiera-
ton" iiiii's' d.
The Mighty Colombian Republic.
suppose you know" continued Senior
Silva, that Colombia is an empire in tic
natural resources. 1t is Of great size. You
could put ten states the size of New York
INTO 1t and have space to spare The most
OF the land is high and healthful. and we
nave vast areas which will raise coffee
sugar, cacao and other crops We have
some Of the best grazing lands of the world
ana the Cauva valley might easily be made
the garden of the universe. This valley lies
between the mountains not far below Pana
ma extending. roughly speaking. north and
soutn. IL has an area as great as Texas
and its climate is well suited to your neo-
pie. The canal will develop it.
ou know something of our minerals
Ny country has already produced more
than $IOO.OO000O worth of the nrecious
metals, and We now stand fourth among
the great gold-producing countries. We are
led only by the United States, Australia
ana South Africa. Large amounts of Amer
fcan caDitaI already