Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-08
Thirteen Specials at ROO


conditions brought about by the rejection
of the treaty on the part of Colombia.
The President was wise enough to know
that we not only needed the right-of-way in
the canal but needed contiguous territory;
therefore. he secured an American strip ten
miles wide from ocean to ocean, the dis
lance being forty-SiX miles and q half. This
was the triumph of the Panama canal
treaty. On the canal zone, as it is called,
Uncle Sam Is the only power; he has his
own policemen, schools, post offices and
his own laws. No alien or native has any
rights on the canal zone. Uncle Sam could
place an army the full length of it and for
tify 1t. Revolutions may come and revolu-
tons may go, but there will be one piece Of
land between Central and South America
on which there will be peace. The little
republic of Panama is a sort of stepsister
or handmaiden to the canal zone. Uncle
Sam got good bargain. He got manufac-
tured iron enough to fill half the public
buildings in Washington, if they were de-
voted to that purpose; he got canal,
partly dug, spaded to some depth along the
entire line deep enough at each end to
make the only harbors that there are or
ever have been in those waters.
He got twenty-five hundred pretty cot
tages scattered along the canal, practically
ready for American occupancy. He Got
the Culebra cut one-third dug. He got
surveys, plans and blue prints from entire
canal to which the French devoted three
years before they stuck a spade into the
earth. He got office buildings and larger
residences for the general managers, and
he got the great Ancon Hospital. He got
the Panama railroad and all its belongings.
Other Things Accomplished.
So far as the great canal Is concerned,
he got everything ready for his use and
much more that he never can use. And,
above all. he got the French career OF the
horrible example to his own men. And he
got all of this for forty million dollars
with ten millions thrown in as the conso-
lation prize to the new republic of Panama
The canal, Panama railroad and the Cha
gres river practically parallel each other
from Colon on the Atlantic side to a point
eighteen miles from Panama city, where
the river comes down from what We call
the north. From that point on to Panama
the railroad and the canal keep company,
but the river Is no longer one of the trio.
II the Chagres river ran from ocean to
ocean 1t would form no part of the canal
problem: but 1t butts in at nearly the CEN
ter Of the isthmus, and In the rainy season
1t is a torrent prepared to destroy a canal
or anything else. Therefore one of the
problems is the disposition Of the Chagres
river and Its waters. The only other prob
lem is the digging down of Culebra hill.
The canal through that hill is now 100
feet wide at the top, and all the men en-
ployed by Engineer Wallace in the actual
digging of the canal are In that cut-2SO0
In number. They are taking out the lava
rock by new American steam shovels at a
less cost per cubic yard than the French
ever did work. The cut must be deepened
yet an average of 300 feet, and the length
Of the cut is eight miles. 1t is fortunate
that Culebra is made of rock, otherwise
Its problem would be greater, for after the
canal should be built its sides would be
constantly drifting into the canal. The
soil of the isthmus is alluvial and easily
fc i1,ICt ted hxy he fI,o
canal has filled up since the French left
it.
A World Problem.
The visitor goes to Panama looking on
the canal as a world problem having some
relation to civilization; after he remains
awhile the canal becomes a local problem
and he thinks only of mosquitoes. yellow
fever, lazy working, a shiftless people and
the hundreds of difficulties which confront
the American engineers and superinten-
dents. Engineer Wallace is as devoted to
foreign field. He neither looks to the right
nor the left, but only wants to dig the
canal. He should be unhampered. His
hands should be united. The commission
two men should not be civil engineers, but
business men who could make the pur-
chases In acquisitions, who could pay the
bills and keep the financial matters
Slra1Rnl, QdHOllHS iuOutyS.
The poorest member of city or village
school board is a retired teacher. There
fore every engineer should go off the canal
board All Wallace needs is men to hand
him the tools He will do the work. Fur
thermore If Uncle Sam Is not prepared to
dig the canal deep enough and wide enough
to permit the worlds commerce to go
through without the ships being raised from
the sea level he ought to stop right now
and not spend another dollar.
Behind the Times
A lock canal raising vessels many feet
above the sea level, would be entirely be-
hind the present time and the present de-
mands. There could be no excuse for build
ing the canal in that cheap way except the
lack of money, and l fancy we shall not
lack the money. This is an age when things
must be done right or not at all. The world
has waited a long time. and the world can
wait until the canal is built in the right
way. There will be troubles connected with
the canal, but that cannot be overcome.
1t is project to arouse ones enthusiasm.
The Culebra hill is really the great con-
tinental divide whitfield down to a strip
eight miles wide, in whose center is the
backbone or watershed flowing each way to
the respective seas The man who cuts
the channel through this backbone and thus
of six thousand years. will put his name
into history.
Message From the White House.
Salvos of applause greeted message
from the White House announcing that
President Roosevelt would receive the edi-
tors without introduction at 2:30 o'clock
today.
1--WE don't need any introduction said