The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-19
AEE 81 @@
Secretary Taft Tells st. Louis
Commercial Club
That Panama Canal ApprOpria-
tion is Exhausted.
Monthly Expense Now Running
About 100000.
BILLS ARE UNPAID.
Situation Is Bordering Upon the
Disastrous.
Congress Will Be Called on for
Emergency Action.
eeCanal Win Be by Z. s. and
According to Law"

St. Louis. Nov. 1s-seeretary Taft
reached this city at 5:54 p. M, over the
Baltimore & Ohio railway and was met
at the station by q committee of the 81
Louis commercial club, whose guest OF
honor he was tonight at a banquet IN
the elegant quarters of the St. Louis
club.
one hundred and fourteen prominent
business and professional men sat at
the table, Secretary Taft occupying the
place of honor at the head of the table
AT his right sat Charles Nagle, presl- |
dent of the commercial club, who acted
as toastmaster. To his left was Judge
Is. Adams.
At $50 o'clock Mr. Nagle introduced
the guest to the assembly, who gave
him an enthusiastic greeting Mr.
Tafts speech of an hour and half
duration was listened to with marked
attention,
Secretary Taft had as his subject,
THE Panama Canal" He said among
other things: that "the canal is to be
built by the United States government
and built according to law"
The Best Route.
Other things being equal of course
the best route is the shortest and that
is neither Nicaragua nor Panama. The
shortest route not more than 80 miles,
is across the isthnus of Darien by way
Of San Bias river, 80 miles from tide
water to tide water. The difficulty
with this route is that it requires the
tunneling of a mountain 1900 feet high
in such q way as TO permit the passage
of modern steamship. The length Of
the rCnuel Is more than i've miles and
at least $50 feet in height above the
water.
Modern engineering has as yet ac-
cOmplIshed no feat equal to the arch
ing Of such a tunnel and the best evi-
dence seems to show that the interior
OF the mountain is not granite or
some hard rock that would hold itself
in place after tunnelling, but is prob
ably shaly or volcanic substance re
curing the roof of the tunnel to be
supported. The Nicaragua route,
which had and still has sincere and
strenuous advocates. is much longer
being about 1877 miles in length and
involves the extensive dredging and
use of a lake some 110 feet above sea
level.
The Panama route was but Is miles
in length from shore line to shore
line. had been partly constructed and
was paralleled by an existing railroad,
an agency Indispensable to construct
Ing any canal. The routes were all
commission and it finally recommend
ed the Panama route. Congress by a
majority vote deliberately reached the
same conclusion.
Fund Is Exhausted.
and now I shall speak of some
thing that is a most important matter
at this 1uncture,' said the speaker.
Fifty millions of dollars were taken
out of the treasury of the United
states, S40,OO0,00O for the French
Panama Canal company and 10000
600 for the republic of Panama to
give up the canal as it is and the right
of way and the Panama railway. Ten
millions were voted to begin the pre-
iimlnary work on the canal. That
s10,00O,O00 is about exhausted.
The pay roll at present amounts to
something like $500 GOO a month and
there is not enough money on hand
after the payment of the bill to meet
the December pay roll There are
bills unpaid for material and supplies
that should be paid at once The de-
lay is quite oppressive and unjust to
the creditors of the government 1t
viii be necessary therefore for con
gress to make an emergency appro-
prtatiOn to carry on the work without
calamitous Interruption. Nothing
could be more disastrous than to have
the pay rolls go unpaid for even a few
weeks This was the trouble with the
new French Panama Canal company
and with the old French Panama
Canal company. Certainly there is
nothing in the credit of the United
States Justifying suspension of pay
ments.
Route Is Fixed.
Few engineers who have visited the
canal have doubted the possibility of
its construction, either as lock or as
q sea level canal. The theory advanced
by opponents of the Panama and by
opponents of any canal that the route
of the canal has not been finally de
clded upon is utterly unfounded. Con-
gress voted in favor of it. the presi-
dent has made the selection in ae-
cordance with the power conferred bv
the act and under its terms he would
he entirely justified in constructing the
canal at Panama without again con
sultlng congress, except for the pur-
pose of obtaining the annual appro-
priatons out of the funds to be real
lZed from the sale of the bonds al
ready authorized by legislative act.
one OF the great obstacles to sue
cess In building the canal is the on
position OF powerful persons and in
leFeSts to its construction Some of
this opposition comes from those who
are sincerely convinced that tbe
Panama route is not practicable
route and that there are other and
easier routes to be preferred 1T is moi
TO be expected that owners and ma n
ayers OF great transcontinental lines
should become enthusiastic over ar
enterprise which, if carried to com
pletion. must certainly affect the rates
of freight between the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts. As previously stated
the canal is to be built and built ae.
cording to the law authorizing it's