New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-26

a
request Of The Tribune TO expound my views
rpon the policy OF building the Pan-American
railway instead OF new warships. the most
effective means OF maintaining the Monroe Doc
-ripe which is. in effect. that. while existing
European possessions the American Cont
rent shall be respected no future acquisitions
shall be permitted.
Ny interest I'm the continental railroad dates
from the Pan-American Conference Of 1893
which President Harrison called, and 10 which
II was appointed by him as of the United
Estates delegates. It Will be remembered that
:1he conference reported in favor of the build
ssng Of a continental railroad; own Con-
lgress and those Of the South American repub-
Tics contributed funds for survey, which was
made The report OF the survey commission
showed that the approximate distance from
New-York 10 Buenos Ayres, utilizing existing
Railroads, would be 1o,471 miles, about one-half
OF which was then completed. and IN opera
t~jon The line could ultimately be much short
ened by more direct lines than those existing.
Since then many extensions have been made by
.rhe various nations and It is now estimated that
only I'VE thousand miles of railroad remain I'M
completed between our Republic ana Argentina
Every year the gaps lessen. The report of Mr..
. sPepper agent of the commission for 1885, states
THAT the actual work Of railway construction in
killing in the links of the intercontinentaI line
q
will be possible TO travel from NewYork or
san Francisco tc Guatemala by railway. Mica
ragua Costa Rica- the Argentine and Bolivia
are all at work extending their railways. b.
,iivia has just dedicated solely to railway con-
tytruction the S10o00,000 received from Brazil
es indemnity for the rubber territory. 1t is quite
possible that her railway system will be con-
structed with American capital and that the
sections 10 receive earliest attention will be
1ts northern to its southern boundary. thus fill
ing one Of the greatest gaps. In Peru the gov
eminent has also given preference to the Pan
American section northward, its purpose also
being TO insure communication with Bolivia and
Lima. such connection being also part of the
great trunk line The Gillian government is
making tunnel through the Andes, which will
give a through line from Valparaiso TO Buenos
Ayres. Contracts have been let for the work,
and material is now being shipped from the
United States. A recent treaty between Chill
and Bolivia insures additional construction in
both countries In Ecuador work has been re-
stunned upon the section which will be link in
she Pan-American line. General Reyes, Presl-
Dent of Colombia, has stated that before the
close of his term measures will be adopted in
suring the participation Of Colombia in Pan
American construction. So, you will see, that
the great trunk intercontinental line creeps
sIowly but steadily forward.
The total cost OF building the five thousand
smiles needed is estimated by the engineers at
SIS, 100000, n small sum compared with Rus
tia's Siberian line, and probably not exceeding
what Canada is about TO spend upon her
through line TO the Pacific.
need not enlarge upon the security which
direct railway connection would give to the
Monroe Doctrine. compared TO a feet of war
ships. The Monroe Doctrine is that of fur
fher appropriation Of American territory by Eu-
1opean powers. What territory worth having
could combined Europe hold in South America.
against forces which We could send, combined
with the forces that South American republics
could raise, TO protect the territory annexed
81 We had direct railway communicate ton and the
invaders had TO transport their armies by sea :?
IF the recent wars have taught anything it is
thai clever electrical engineers with torpedoes
snd mines render fortified ports unassail-
able blockade of American ports would in
convenience cur people, but il would not give
victory to the blockaders. Most Of the things
that Southern republics import are not necessa-
RES IF life. but luxuries. With railway con-
uecton all the needed articles could be obtained
from Nor would il matter seriously if some
Of the cities on the coast were occupied by for