The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1904-06-17
How Long kiIlir Take.

nr CpistT'ittlpb ol me ! hllh
ma Canal is assured The prima-
~ consideration now Is. How
long il will take 10 complete it?'
We take il that the people OF
his country are unanimous ia the
! ie-ire to have the gigantic enter
prise carried through rs quick,
j. possible. II would vastly APP
pear 10 the national pride 80 IL,
the obstacles that others have
found insupsrahle expediousll
overcome 10y American skill and
energy But there are more solio
rrasobs than this for Wishing to
see the task which We Ina, assum-
ed approached with the d rermin-
alton 10 have done with it ia the
asst possible time 1t means So
much to the country Hs whole.
so much TO the South in psrticu
lar, that every year uselessly EN-.
ployed can be regarded in nc
other light than "a misfortune.
Furthermore. the shorter the time
of construction the slighter will
be the loss of life and the less
heavy the fixed administrator
charges The cost of the canal
will thus be reduced to a minimum
while the people OF this country
will receive the maximum of BEN
eft All of which considerations
are surely enough to inspire the
com mission with the desire 10
witness the end and crown of
their iabors at an early date
On the important point OF the
length of time that will be re
quires 10 complete the canal We
are without an authoritative state
ment from the commission. II
vii probably be mouths before
We shall receive one from that
source. In the meantime how
ever. he public has grounds for
reasonable conclusions. The sit
uation in Panama 10 we'll known
in the United States. since ther.
j. probably not an aspect IF aft ,irs
that has not been fully report d.
The estimates aud experience 81
the French engineers, whose SIX j.,
IN drawing plans WAS so intinitei,
superior To the executive aLilit,
that could be mutt red, have be
come reasonably familiar To- all
And from .he data al hanl, il
would seem To be necessary con
clu-ion that the work can be com
pieted. if set about in The righi
-tyIe and with promptness and
business like decision. in much
shorter time than the eight or tel
years popularity accepted as the
minimum period of construct
ION.
1t will be recalled that the first
French company proposed 10 dig
the canal in eignt years. More.
over. il WAS sea level canal that
Lesseps and his associates had in
mind. IN undertaking whose exc
cntion is necessarily slower than |
a lock canal, where the lCcks are.
of course. introduced for the pur-
poe OF dispensing with IN, need |
for al immense amount OF excava-
ton. This government will un
ques tionably construct one Of the /
latter class. This WAS tn, recon-
of the commission
VII ch made the report some years
ago, and there seems no doub;
what. yer that il will be finally
From whence it follows
hat if the French could coDtem
plate the completion of an enter
Prise requiring excavations so tre-
nendousiy in excess Of the one We
rave in view within period of
eight years, this government ought
q fix the limit for,the termination
# the work we'll within tina, term.
t may be said, of course, ,hat De
Iesseps Nailed; but we believe it
. GENERALLY known that his failure
anne more from corruption and