The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-24
BLOCKS CANAL PLAN.
Colombia Demands Hard Terms fo,
 the Route.

From Washington to Chicago Chronicle The government of Colombia through us diplomatic representative in the Uni
 ted States is not proving as tractable and generous as the friends of the Panama canal proposition hoped it would. Admi- ral Walker has held TWO conferences with Senor Silva to arrange terms to be an- nounced In protocol. Admiral Walker
 has insisted upon lease in perpetuity,
 but Senor Silva says that his govern ment will never consent to such a lease.
 He says Colombia is willing to arrange TOT long term lease. running 10O or zo0 not agree to a lease in perpetuity.
 Then. too, Senor Silva is understood to be desirous of arranging for a stated
 annual compensation. Colombia believes that the United States should pay $, ,OO0,- ocO per year for the privileges of occupy ing the territory which the canal will traverse. Colombia's terms as stated by
 Senor Silva will be difficult of acceptance a lease in perpetuity. with an agreement
 Tor nominal rental. will be satisfactory to Congress and If Senor Silva stands out Tor the terms which he is now attempting 10 rorce upon this government accept ance or the Panama route will be delayed indefinitely. Senator Morgan and Representative
 Hepburn are confident as ever that the
 Nicaragua route will be finally chosen.
 Senator Morgan is confident that he can
 secure majority report from the Com mittee on Inter-oceanic Canals in favor of the Hepburn bill in spite of the changed position of the Canal Commis-
 sion. Even if such a report is obtained
 there is little likelihood that the Mica ragua bill can be passed, for under the
 rules Of the Senate the friends of the
 fanama Canal and those Senators who do not want any canal could hold up leg islation for an indefinite period A seri- ous attempt will be made to pass a bill that will leave the selection of the route
 10 the President. This is the only com to be entirely feasible. All of the Sena-
 tors understand that President Roose- welt favors a canal and that he Is desir-
 ous of having work begun on the isth- ,rn m,us at the earliest possible moment. ihey are, therefore. assured that he will
 lose no time in making a choice, but it
 seems to be doubtful if the Nicaragua
 senators VIII consent to transfer the right Of choice. which they claim belongs
 to Congress, to the President
 President Roosevelt is likely to have another fight with the House of Repre-
 sentatives. He has made a fiat deciara-
 ton Of hostility to the plan of the House
 committee on Census to unload several
 thousand clerks at present emploved in
 the Census Bureau upon the civil service.
 The Committee, in obedierce to instruc-
 tons from the House. has revised the
 permanent census bill by including a
 provision which places all of the present
 clerks Tn the bureau under the civil ser
 vice and makes them eligible for trans
 fer tn tho several departments. The civil
 service reformers of the country are up
 in arms against the project on the
 ground that 1t is violation of the pri-
 mary principles of civil service. The
 President has requested the Committee
 to reopen consideration of the bill so that
 MT. Proctor and William Dudley FouIke
 of the Civil Service Commission may ap-
 pear before the Committee and explain
 the reasons why the bill ought not to