Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-26
Now for a Canal.

Under all the circumstances the House
has done by far the best thing in the prem
ises 10y accepting the Spooner amendment
as a substitute for the Hepburn canal bill
A blockade between the houses on the sub
iect would have resulted in postponement
Of the matter to another session perhaps
it's total defeat. Congress could have ad-
iourned without finishing the case. for the
measure was not in the category of the
appropriation bills the passage of which
is necessary for the maintenance of the
governments operations.
Senator Morgan is entitled TO warm praise
for his patriotic and statesmanlike attitude
i'm the conference and before his party COL
leagues. His willingness TO accept the
amendment the adoption of which by the
Senate he fought so persistently and ably,
springs from his desire for an isthmian
canal. If the Spooner amendment is exc
cuted with appropriate promptness and in
good falkland those who know the Presi-
dent have reason to doubt that it will
be-a canal across the isthmus is not only
possible. but probable. The advocates Of
the Nicaragua route believe that this is
the longest and least desirable process to
adopt in order to secure canal. But fail
ing to obtain consent to the absolute Sc
lection of the Nicaragua route they are
willing to see the canal along either, with
Panama given the preference, provided it is
eventually dug.
For the Nicaragua advocates to stand out
stubbOrnly against the Senate amendment
would have been TO play into the hands of
those who are al heart opposed to canal
along any route The acceptance of the
amendment now puts the case up to the
Panama company TO prove title No time
limit is set within which this is to be done
The President is not hampered in his i'm
portant task of examining, through COM
mission, the mass of legal and political
documents which have accumulated in this
case during the many years of it's pen
dency. 1t would have been Inappropriate
II not unfair, thus to limit his time range
Congress has in truth acted toward him
ungenerously in transferring the burden of
choice to him. He is at least entitled 10
work unfettered.
The people now look for results Whether
they believe the Panama company will sue
coed or fail in the title-proving enterprise
they expect action. They realize that DOW
erful forces are opposed to the canal along
either route. They do not underestimate
the resources of the factors which have
prevented action to the present time But
they depend upon the fact that here at last
Is statute which commands the construc-
ton of the canal leaving the route to be
determined according to legal processes
conducted by the President of the United
States. 1t is assured that title can be
obtained To Nicaragua. So there is no rea-
son TO anticipate the total failure of the
canal enterprise on this score. If it does
fall through later congressional interven-
ton or through excessive delay, the re-
sponsibllity will be upon those who in the
face of an assuredly practical and a pre-
sumably economical route. to which title
could be obtained without difficulty, voted
TO give the place of preference to line
which reeks with scandal and suspicion and
whose legal founda ton is palpably uncer
tain.