The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-24
The Extra Session and tho Panama
Canal.

taIlt matters 10 COIlle oeloio VIC oAei"o.
dinarv session OF Congress which Presi-
dent ROOSEVELT intends to call for NO
vsraher II will relate to the canal at Pan
ANA. Whether the work shall be prose-
cuted under the direction OF the Secretary
OF War or OF the Secretary OF state s not
a question requiring new legislation
Full authority in this respect is with the
President az the canal law stands. he can
attach the Canal Commission to any De-
partment that he pleases to select. But
the existing act, which is very specinc
as regards the organization OF the COM
mission, and embarrassingly so IN some
matters Of detail, will require amend
rnent in order to free the hands OF the
Executive, who is responsible for the
work. Any changes suggested by the
President with view to more effective
administration are likely to be granted
without hesitation by Congress.
Furthermore, as the law now contem-
plates and describes canal with locks
and does not contemplate and describe
q sea level canal, that fundamental ques-
ton Of policy OF construction will ineW-
tably come to the front.
Three years and one month ago the
spooner amendment or substitute for
the Hepburn bill to provide for the con-
struction Of canal connecting the waters
OF the Atlantic and Pacific oceans was
discussed by the Senate. The author OF
the amendment, which became the law
by the authority OF which the President
n now constructing the Panama canal,
declared at that time his reasons for pre-
ferring the Panama route; and one OF his
clearly stated reasons merits especial at
tention now. Senator SPooNER said on
June Is, 1902:
The Panama Canal. however 1t is built now, the
testimony shows, can be made IN the future sea
Isssj canal. TN Nicaragua canal cannot. sa
mere matter OF money. II Is so stated In tho report
Of the Commission. 1t Is stated in the testimony
Of tho experts before the committee.
1t may be OF INFINITE Importance 10 the people
OF the United States in the long reach Of time TO
make sea level canal of It. Is 1t worth nothing
70 adopt the shorter canal, Is 1t worth nothing to
have the certainty that in the future. y ne public
interest and safety dewaad H. vhh I've expenditure Of
think II y worth great deal.
-Given the prartcabnity of It. Mr.. President. In
the long years to come, when our population has
erovn to 100000 900 and our wealth In proportion
and the commerce of the world. immeasuraby
increased Is using this canal as 1t will do, who shall
ray tina, the people of,he United States would care
whether 1t cost 10000 or $500 100000 TO turn
this canal into sea level canal' All mean to say
ole ADan
and influence In favor OF the Panama canal with
Its other advantages, tina, as to 1t In the time to
come II our people rant 70 make OF q seq lsrei
canal Ghev con do So when to the other. no matter
hosc mueh hep rant 4, hey cannot do so"
The italics in the foregoing passage are
Senator SPooNER's. His words convey
the program and forecast OF the legs-
lative father OF the American Panama
canal enterprise concerning the ultimate
transformation of the lock canal for
which the Spooner law calls into sea
level waterway between the oceans,
But when, in Mr.. SpooNER's forecast
and program, was that possible ultimate
change to occurs Not ct once, "but in the
future The distance of the future, as he
contemplated it, is indicated by him more
than once In the long reach Of time,
he said it might be of infinite importance
to this country to make a sea level canal
Of it. Again, ain the long years to come,
when our population has grown to $780,
oOO, 900 and our wealth in proportion
the people might not care what it cost
to effect the transformation. 1t was a
project not three years away but half
century or more in the future that Mr..
SPooNER's Imagination was then con-
templating.
Why? Because the difficulties involved
In the larger undertaking, the enormous
increase in cost of time and money had
been understood not only by the French
engineers who abandoned the sea level
idea but also by our own Isthmian Canal
Commission, which had reported thus to
the President
Its construction would probably take at least
twenty years. This Commission concurs with tn
various French commissions which have preceded
It since the failure of the old company in rejecting
the sea level canal plan. While such plan would
be physically practicable and might be adopted
u no otner SOLUTION were available. the dlmcultleS
Of all kinds, and especially those OF time and cost.
would be so great that canal with Q SUNNI, level
rsachsd by locks Is 10 oe preferred"
No doubt there will be strong effort
to impress upon the Government the
policy OF sea level or nothing. There will
be projects in plenty from enthusiastic
intellects impatient of any compromise
short OF the ideal interoceanic waterway
through which ships can steam from the
Atlantic to the Pacific as they now steam
between the Pillars of Hercules from the
Atlantic into the Mediterranean, or be-
tween the Castles Of Europe and Asia
from the Black Sea to the Egean. Is the
experience already gained Of conditions
on the Isthmus and Of the nature OF the
colossal job we have taken over from
the French engineers such as to reduce
our estimate OF the difficulties to be
overcome before we get any sort OF
canal and tn warrant a still more ambi-