The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-01
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Advertiser Bureau,
 Mohile. Feb. 2S.

Leon Schwarz, a young Alabamian' io' merly a member of the Alabama Nation- al Guard. and also of the Alabama voiua. teers in the Spanish-American war; anu who has been for some time located ih Central and South America, retnrnea u the city en route to his home Tn Lin- den, Marengo County. where he VIII WIS 1t his parents.
 Mir. Schwarz, during his stay In the tropical countries, was connected With large importing and exporting hrm. thereby having opportunity for travei and extensive observation of the people and lands he traversed. He familiar'zea himself with conditions, in order to give his firm all information desired as to the countries for business use ana thereby had occasion to see potn the Nicaraguan and Panama Canal routes or which so much has been said in the nun dreds of newspapers in the United states
 Having recently returned from a uip over the Panama canal route, ne is Ill excellent position to speak as 10 what he saw and ascertained. Asked for an interview he said:
 For personal reasons Isfavor the Nica- ra qua route, but to the tourist the Pana- ma certainly seems to be the one. The difference in the distance across It Is In favor of the Panama and certainly ap- neal, s-c Tt once, and not only have the FrentA ,.sp pie done a vast amount of work on the canal, but there appears to be sufficient old iron in the machinery left by them strewn along the route, to cover the $4O,0O0, 900 which they ask for their concessions and property.
 with the treaty though, as drawn and pending between the United States and Colombia, the Americans on the isthmus are not satisfied and exporters in the United States should be much displeased with 1t from a commercial standpoint. The United States should have govern mental control of the strip and the two ports, Colon and Panama, as regards tariff, courts and everything else, or if we do not, regarding the first item, we will pay out all the money and Euro- pean countries will reap the benefit In trade and in the other items we will be in constant conflict with Colombia The American trade invasion, am sorry to say. has not invaded the isthmus to any extent. The people wear English clothes, eat German and English foodstuff, and drink French wines and liquors, and thus it will be when we dig the canal If we do not make it an American canal, owned and controlled in every way and detail by the United States. Before digging the canal, by the Panama route the cities of Colon and Panama will have to be thoroughly Havanaized.' but if Colom- bia Is to retain governmental control of them 1t seems to me foolish to spend the money because it is against the prin- ciples of the people of these cities tc Insist on anything being kept clean. After going over the city of Panama an other American and myself agreed that the best way to put 1t in sanitary con. dition would be to burn 1t down and re- build it.'
 MT. Schwarz Is a thorough-going young | business man and has held high position with firms in this State and his obser. vations, which he gives from what ht knows, will be read by friends through out the State, with much interest MT Schwarz left this morning for Selma from which place he goes to Linden While in Mobile he was the guest of his brother. L. E. Schwarz. prominent busi- ness man.