Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-29
PLANS FOR THE CANAL
Variety Of Views on What
Should Be Done.
ARMY MAY TAKE HAND
DIFFICULTY IN DECIDING UPON
A PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION.
Need for Best Counsel in Determining
Engineering Problems That Have
Bafled Men in the Past.
ARMY MAY TAKE HAND

SnOrtIy after congress reconveneS there
will be lively discussion on the subject of
the Panama canal, both in relation to the
manner in which the work shall be con-
trolled and the government of canal zone.
Nearly every member of the committees Of
the Senate and House of Representatives
that recently visited the isthmus came back
with the idea that the canal commission of
which Admiral Walker is the chairman
should either be reduced in numbers or
abolished altogether. An effort will be
made to carry out that idea, but 1t will be
stoutly resisted by Admiral Walker, back
ed by strong congressional influences.
Another phase of the discussion of the
canal question that is to be made prom
inent, it is understood Will be proposition
to place the entire work under the en-
gineer corps of the United States army.
1t is well known that since this question
has been under consideration many army
officers have thought so great work
should be placed under the engineer corps.
in order that the credit for the greatest
engineering enterprise of the age should be
had by that branch of the service On the
other hand, this sentiment is far from uni
versal in the engineer corps.
There are officers who question the out
come of the undertaking, and others still
who see in the service on the isthmus a line
of duty that will be far from desirable in
many respects.
Within the Engineer Corps.
But there is said to be within the engineer
corps a strong sentiment favorable to plac-
ing the work under that branch of the serv-
ice If that should be done the project for
the construction of the canal would have to
be worked out within the engineer corps,
unless the canal commission is retained un-
I'll after the project has been formulated.
One thing seems certain in the estimation
of those who are most closely connected
with this enterprise, and that is that the
commission and the engineer corps could
rot work in harmony, and that one or the
other would have to be held entirely re-
sponsible for the work.
The proposition to place the work under
the control of the engineer corps Will meet
strong opposition. Even among those who
regard the commission as cumbrous body
and unsuitable for the management Of the
affairs of the canal there are many who
Will not be willing to iDtrust the work to
the engineer CORPS and would much rather
put it in charge of Chief Engineer Wallace,
who has made an extremely favorable i'm
preston on those senators and representa-
tives who recently visited the isthmus The
chief engineer would, of course, be sub
ordinate of the Secretary of War.
Simplifying Management.
Advocates of system simplifying the
management of the canal affairs by estab-
fishing one-man power in the execution
of the work would be in a much stronger
position If there was a we'll defined project
to be carried out. The fact is according to
every one who has been Intimately connect
ed with the events of the recent investiga-
ton on the isthmus, there is an entire alb
Sence of an agreement upon any definite
plan of construction. The friends of the
canal commission declare that when Con-
gress takes up this matter 1t will not for
moment consider the idea of depending
on any one man to formulate plan for
this work which has in the past baft1ed
the genius of so many Of the great engin-
GERS of the world. There are today four
plans for the construction of the canal,
each of which has advocates.
First there is the plan under which the
appropriation to purchase the canal prop
erty was made. That IS the cheapest of
all the plans. 1t places the high level OF
the canal so feet above the sea and re-
quires three 3O-foot locks each side.
1t is the plan that was estimated upon
when the comparison of cost was made
with the Nicaragua route by the canal
commission, under which it was shown
that the ninety-foot-level canal at Panama
would cost five millions less than the Mic
aragua canal built on plans that were re-
garded as providing the best canal that
could be constructed there, leaving nothing
in the way OF improvements to be made in
the future.
But this ninety-foot-level canal was not
long advocated. Now Admiral Walker and
some other members of the commission ia
vor canal with a sixty-foot level. There
is also project for a canal on the thirty
foot level, while the fourth project is for
sea level waterway.
Favors a Sea Level Canal
Among the reasons that Chief Engineer
Wallace advances in favor of sea-level
canal is the difficulty in getting foundations
from the locks 1t has already been shown
that these foundations will be enormously
expensive. 1t Is questionable in the minds
of some whether these locks can be built
within any limit of cost that would make
such a project practicable.
The entire canal question will be dis
cusSed in this connection and the commits
sion is likely to be severely criticised, espe-
cially in the House of Representatives. At
the same time even among those who ad-
vocate the abolition of the commission
the method for selecting one of four pro-
posed plans for the construction of the
canal
While it is declared that for the con-
struction f the canal the chief require
ment is of fine executive ability
with body of capable assistants, yet
when it comes to the formulation of plans
for the canal the necessity for additional
counsel in determining doubtful problems
is looked upon as important In the case
OF the French company the greatest en-
gineers of the world were called in con-
sultation. What plan is to be adopted for
determining just what the United States
will do on the isthmus is uncertain.
1t will also be necessary for Congress
during the present session to determine
upon plan for the government of the
canal strip, which alone-fs a subject likely
to provoke considerable debate.