The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-15

Meeting North and South America. The
construction of the canal by the United
States is now as certain as anything in the
future can be- The treaty with Colombia
will be ratified in a few days, and President
Roosevelt will then have a free hand to
appoint a commission and make final ar
rangements for the prosecution of the
work. Once begun, its completion will only
be a question of comparatively few years.
There is no other engineering enterprise
now under consideration or in prospect in
any part of the world at all comparable to
it in magnitude and Importance. 1t is re-
garded with great interest by all civilized
nations. and it's construction and control
by the United States will add greatly to its
prestige as world power and to its un-
disputed and benefcent domination of the
western hemisphere. In addition to the
immense strategic and commercial impor-
tance of the canal it will greatly strengthen
the Monroe doctrine and tend to promote
friendly relations between the United
States and the states of Central and South
America. The leading newspaper Of South
America, La Prenza. published at Buenos
Ayres. recently had an editorial on 1.-The
United States and the Panama Canal" in
which 1t said:
Since the celebrated message of Monroe
the United States has not accomplished an
act of greater significance than the treaty
with Colombia for the construction of the
Panama canal. This act tends to assert
the principle of its continental policy with
regard to Europe, and at the same time 1T
contains its protest against the too oft re-
peated imputation that North Americans
entertain projects of invasion and abSorp
ton of the independent and sovereign ma
tons of South America. 1t requires COM
motives of the Monroe doctrine and mis-
conception of the tenor of the recent treaty
to perceive in that document the North
American Imperialism in action and the
march against South America.
The United States has always looked upon
the interoceanic canal with a very lively
interest. suggested by the fear of political
European interest, through Ii. in the South
American continent. The Washington di-
plomacy has never neglected the question.
Its work has had unique aim-to prevent
the projected road for navigation, which
was TO exercise an immense influence over
the worlds traffic. Her status a grand
nation on the Atlantic and the Pacific, and
as the rival of Europe, explains her right
and resolution to become proprietor of the
canal. The idea has been transmitted since
the mlOQle OF the last century, NHtn TREAT
Britain was the only nation of Europe with
a powerful force of expansion abroad. The
statesmen of the united kingdom were pre-
occupied with the canal project, and tried
to take position assuring their influence
over il, but the United States placed itself
across their way by the Clayton
Bulwer treaty, and more recently by the
Hay-Pauncefote treaties.
The article proceeds to praise the enter
prise of the United States in undertaking
the work and to express absolute conf
dence in the good faith of this government
in its relation with all Central and South
American states.
A continuous railway connecting the
United States and South America will be a
work scarcely second in interest and impor-
tance to the isthmian canal. Its consum-
nation is one of the certainties of the not
distant future. A recent dispatch stated
that Secretary Hay, acting by authority of
the Pan-American Congress. had appointed
Charles NJ Pepper, well-known author
and newspaper writer possessing peculiar
qualifications for the work, as a special
commissioner to promote the interconti-
mental road This project has been under
ly as long as the Panama canal has been
1t was inaugurated by the Pan-American
| conference held in Washington in 1890. At
the conference held in Mexico City last
| year resolutions We're adopted favoring the
| idea. and a permanent Pan-American rail-
| way committee was appointed. with head
| quarters i'm Washington. to promote the
project. This committee is composed of
| former United States Senator Davis, of
West Virginia, chairman; Andrew Car
negie: Ambassador De Azperoz. of Mexico;
| Minister Calderon, of Peru, and Minister
Arriaga. of Guatemala This committee
recommended the appointment of Mr.. Pep
per, and the suggestion was heartily in
| dorsed by the representatives of other
South American states. Mr.. Pepper, by the
| way was a delegate to the conference in
Mexico City, and is personally acquainted
with many South American statesmen. AS
Congress appropriated only $500 to do the
work which he will undertake. Messrs. Da-
Wis and Carnegie have each given 5000 to
make up the necessary amount. With this
backing and the prestige of an appointment
/ from the secretary of state. Mr.. Pepper
will visit the capitals of the various coun-
| tries interested. will confer with their gov
ernments, study their resources and en-
| deavor to enlist public interest in the enter
prise. The proposed line would begin at
| the southern terminus OF the Mexican rail-
way system, which already connects with
roads in the United States Thence it would
/ go through Central America and the 18TH
| mus of Panama. and, following the line of
| the Andes mountains to point in Bolivia.
| cross thence into the Argentine Republic,
Paraguay and Uruguay, taking in the cap
| itals of all these countries. Branch lines
| are to enter Brazil and Chile, and a branch
| is proposed from the isthmus to Caracas,
| Venezuela More than half of the entire
| route is already occupied by completed
roads, and surveys have been made Of other
portions. There are more miles of COM
| pleted railroads in some of the South Amer
lean countries than people generally are
aware Of Argentina has 1911 miles, Brazil
s.l95. Chile 2.sso. Uruguay LA. Peru 1855,
| Bolivia CT. and others less All OF these
countries possess great natural resources,