Evening star., 1902-01-16
18TH MIAN CANAL.
Rumored That Commission Will Rec
ommend Panama Route.
AMERICAN STOCKHOLDERS REFUSE
Admiral Walkers Conference in
Boston and New York.
SENATORS ENTER DENIAL

The report was widely circulated at the
Capitol this afternoon that the isthmian
canal commission will submit a supplement
tary report to the President of the United
States recommending the acceptance of the
offer Of sale of the Panama property to
this government for $4OOOOO00 1t was
said that the representatives of the French
interest in that canal now in Washington
are confident that this recommendation will
be made and are accordingly very jubilant
The rumOr was that the isthmian canal
commission has promise from the French
men of still further concessions than was
contained in the original offer of the prop
erty for $i0O00.0O0. These reports Were
quickly passed around among the senators
and representatives who were supposed to
be favorable to the Panama project and
We're freely commented upon. The rumor
could not be traced to any authentic source
beyond the naturally supposed source of
the French representatives.
American Stockholders Refuse
The inability of the Panama Canal Com
pany to give a title to the United States
for the Panama railroad was shown this
morning on the occasion of a hearing be-
fore the isthmian canal commission, in
which Mr.. William Nelson Cromwell of the
firm of Sullivan & Cromwell. general coun-
sci of the Panama railroad, and Mr.. E. A.
Drake. vice president of that road, ap-
peared and testified.
They showed that large block of Pan
anna railroad stock is held by Americans
most of whom live in New York, and some
of them have served notice of their refusal
to part with this stock or to agree to the
proposed sale of their property to the
United cTo
essary to pass title to the United States
The government has from the first main
tanned that the possession of the Panama
railroad would be essential if the Panama
canal property were purchased.
The majority of the railroad stock is held
by the canal company. but unless the
United States should obtain the last share
OF the stock II would not accept any of it,
because its ownership in the railroad if
assumed at all, will have to be cOmnlete
This condition of the present ownership of
the Panama railroad has not been develop
ed by the testimony of representatives of
the Panama Canal Company.
Commission Holds Two Sessions.
The isthmian canal commission of which
Admiral Walker is chairman, held two
sessions today in room 80 in the Corcoran
building. The morning session began at a
few minutes before 10 o'clock and lasted
until after / O'clock
AT 30 the commission again convened
" hen Admiral Walker came from rhe
rooms of the commission after the adjourn
ment for luncheon. he said that no report
would be transmitted to the President be-
fore saturday at the earliest. and that the
commission would likely hold sessions daily
until the end of the week The sessions to-
day were secret and a guard was sta
toned at the door that the members should
not be disturbed.
Admiral Walker Reticent.
Can you give any idea as to the trend of
sentiment among the members on the canal
question:" Admiral Walker was asked
1t is something about which have moth
ing to say at this time, he replied
Have you anything to say about your
visit to New York and Boston?"
Nothing whatever"
Admiral Walker and former Senator Pas
CO of the commission have just returned
from Boston and New York where they
conferred with tine American stockholders
OF the Panama Railroad Company to see.if
the commission recommends the Panama
route whether the government will be able
figure.
The French company that has made the
oHer for s4oGn1oo0 owns a majority of the
STOCK IN the Panama Railroad Company,
the minority stock being held in the main
py Boston and New York capitalists.
The Fifty-Seventh Meeting.
seventh since the commission was estab-
lished year ago last June. Besides Ad-
miral Walker there were present Former
Senator Samuel Pasco of Florida. Alfred
Noble, George S. Morrison, Col Peter c.
Hains OF the Corps of Engineers, T. S. A:
William H. Burr, Lieut.. Col Oswald H.
Ernst, Lewis VI. Hauft and Prof Emory
r. Johnson
1t is worthy of mention that at every ses-
minis sin
the whole membership has been present
Ihere was general discussion of the
Whole question of a canal 1t is understood
that the commission is divided as to the
most feasible and proper route for the gov
ernment to adopt. and that two reports will
be submitted to the President.
Mallory and Clay Enter Deninls.
Mr.. Mallory (FlaD, rising to question
or privilege in the Senate today, called at
tention to an article in a New York news
paper OF the l4th instant, purporting to
give poll of the Senate on the subject of
an isthmian canal in the course of which
ne was represented as being in favor of the
Panama route. He declared he had had
no interview with any one upon that suh
1ect. As matter of fact the article mis-
represented him entirely
Il am decidedly in favor" said he '.of
pressing the Nicaragua project as rapidIy
as possible and II it were in my power I
should be very glad to bring the matter up
for a vote today"
Mr.. Clay CGaD made similar statement
about the same article, asserting that ne
never had intimated to any one what his
views on the canal question were but thar
he did, as a fact. favor the Nicaragua
PROJECT and not the Panama route as
stated IN the article in question.