The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-01-27
AMERICAN
REPUBLICS
Want CANAL.

washington. Jan. T.--Charles NJ Pep
Der. Commissioner OF the Bureau OF
American Republics 90 examine and re-
port on the proposed inter-continental
railroad project has returned TO Wash
inston from long tour through the Cen
tral American and South American coun-
tries Interested. In his opinion the pro-
5ect is feasible and much nearer reallza-
ton than has been supposed. The build
Ing OF the Panama canal he believes, Will
help the railway scheme greatly.
Mr.. Pepper kept his eyes and ears open
when he was on the isthmus and else
whore in Latin-America. and he made
some interesting comments yesterday ON
the Panama situation. When on the
isthmus In April. he found that If the
then pending canal treaty were not rati-
ned by Colombia a revolution was bound
70 occur.
Most OF the South American govern
ments which he visited deplored the OPP
position TO the treaty, for the reason that
they regarded the canal as In the interest
OF all South America. When they found
that the treaty was TO be rejected they
knew a revolution would come Even
Nicaragua and Costo Rica. the countries
most interested In the building of the
Nicaragua canal. are anxious TO have the
Panama canal built.
Mr. Pepper was asked about the ac-
don OF the naval commanders in Colon
and Panama. He said: II did not know
that there had been criticism. They were
acting with discretion and hrmness. If
there is any criticism the testi-
| - In,
and Panama. ought 20 have some weight.
Many OF these have taken pains 10 ex-
press their approval and / presume this
has been done I'm official reports 10 their
governments Certainly they are very out
spoken in their praise.
There appears TO be a notion that the
separation movement was confined TO
Colon and Panama, and the territory di-
rectly interested in the canal strip. This
is not true IL Is about as near universal.
geogra phically and otherwise. as revolu-
tton could be | do not know from person
al observation about the Indian tribes in
Darien, though was informed In Panama
that before the movement was started
their support had been gained. Certainly
from Panama and Colon north 10 the
boundary OF Costa Rica the movement
was universal.
At Bocas del Toro. which is on the
Atlantic side. and at David. on the Pa
cifc side they had more arms and were
better drilled than in Panama or Colon.
The fact is that everybody on the isthmus
had arms and was ready TO fight. They
began getting ready six months before the
actual revolution.
IF President Roosevelt had not taken
the stand he did. today there would have
been a bloody civil war on the isthmus
and in the end the United states would
have been forced TO intervene as II did In
Cuba The BWota politicians themselves
expected the revelutior They made lit
tie preparations TO meet II, partly because
there was "A savage factional fight over
the election OF President Marroquln's sue
cessor and partly because they thought
the United States would put 1t down FOR
them
That was what I heard In Panama and
Central America. and | have no doubt II
was the truth But the chief thing now Is
to get at building the canal as quickly
as possible. That may help the Bogota
politicians TO retrieve their mistakes and
prevent the entire disruption OF Colom-
bia. though I found no one who had any
sympathy for the politicians.