New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-20
THE PLAN or THE CANAL.

The President has reported TO Congress the
opinions of the engineers and commissioners
concerning the plan of the Panama Canal to-
gether with his own recommendation in favor
Of canal with locks at the high level Of eighty
feet. There will doubtless be dissent and pro-
tests against this settlement of the question
from those who have favored other plans. Es-
pecaly will there be regret at the abandon
ment of the sea level plan, seeing that it has
some decided advantages over any other, and
seeing that for many years Panama has been
preferred to any other canal site for the ex-
press reason that there alone would such canal
be possible. We have ourselves strongly in
clined 10 the view which a year ago seemed
widely to prevail among those most authorita
lively concerned in the matter, that the sea
level is on the whole the most desirable and,
indeed, the only permanently satisfactory plan;
nor can we say that the arguments presented on
the other side have convinced us otherwise
Nevertheless. the judgment of the President. and
that of the eminent engineers to whose opinion
he incines, must be regarded as exceptionally
weighty. 1t is TO be observed that while
majority of the consulting engineers favored q
sea level canal, that majority was chiefly COM
posed of foreigners who naturally took some
what theoretical view Of the case, while of the
eight Americans on the board five favored a
high level canal, and they, we may assume took
a more practical view of it Moreover, the Pres
ident, who is directly and supremely charged
with responsibility for the canal; the Secretary
of War; who is his chief lieutenant in the work
five Of the six canal commissioners, and the
chief engineer are now persuaded that high
level canal is preferable. If such judgment does
not convince, it must. at any rate, command
respect and compel careful consideration
The President concisely summarizes the prin-
cipal arguments for a sea level and for lock
canal. He recognizes the fact that something
is TO be said in favor Of each, that each has its
advantages and also its disadvantages, and on
striking balance between them he thinks the
preponderance is in favor of high level canal.
Conspicuous among the arguments in favor of
that plan are those of time and money, argu-
ments which are generally particularly potent
with Americans. If a high level canal can be
completed in half the time and at half the cost
Of a sea level canal, we assume that intelligent
Americans generally will say: Then let us have
the high level canal" Nor are such arguments
unworthy ones The canal is commercial I'M
dertaking, and it is properly TO be dealt with on
the commercial plane. OF course as we have
hitherto pointed out the first cost is not all
The cost of maintenance, of operation and of
time Of transit must also be reckoned If the
high level plan will cost only about half as
much as the sea level, it may be that. as the
saved will amply cover the increased cost of
maintenance and operation; and if it also is
true that large ships will be able to pass through
a lock canal more quickly than through one at
sea level. then the net permanent cost of the
lock canal will be the less
There can in any event, be no complaint of
hasty action or OF snap judgment on an insult
hcent basis The question has been exhaustive
ly investigated by a singularly competent and
expert company of engineers. and has been ma
turely considered by the President and others
most directly connected with the enterprise If
a right determination could not now be made.
there would be little ground for hoping that it
ever could be. OF course the ultimate decision
as the President reminds us, is with Congress.
The Presidents recommendation may be accept
ed or may be rejected by ii, according TO its
judgment. 1t is To be assumed that Congress
will act with circumspection and elaboration
though with unnecessary delay. The cues
ton is of so great Importance that the most
careful judgment upon it is desirable and vet
it is so urgent that there should be no needless
postponement- 1t rests with Congress then
TO decide the matter, either by making a spe-
cifc declaration upon it or by directing the
President to proceed to construct the canal IN
der the existing law, which latter would as the
president rightly assumes mean a high level
canal. 1t is time for the final word to be spoken
and for the final stage of the work to be begun
so that all that is done hereafter may be done
according TO a fully determined plan. 1t would
be too much to hope for a plan that would
please everybody. The thing to do is to adopt
and to execute that plan which, according TO the
best judgment that can be obtained, seems most
likely TO give the largest measure of satIsfac-
ton not only in the present or even the imme-
diate future, but in the Unreasonable future
for which the canal is TO be built