The Washington times., 1906-03-29
GEN. DAVIS URGES
SEA-LEVEL CANAL
Takes Decided Issue With
Minority Report.
LOCK PLAN Is OPPOSED
Disagrees With Many of the State
ments Made by Secretary
of War Taft.

In his testimony before the Senate
Committee on Interocearic Canals today
Gen. George w. Davis strongly advo-
Gated the adoption of a sea-Ievel canal
on the lsthmus OF Panama.
Taking the letter of the Secretary OF
War TO President Roosevelt giving the
report of the Board of Consulting Engi-
neers as his text General Davis began
his argument
The total length OF the proposed locks
TO be constructed in this canal in con-
nection with the minority report. he said,
was more than two miles, over mile
longer than the total lock length of the
Sault Ste. Marie canal. He said that
the majority took into consideration the
two great canals now in operation. the
Suez and the Soo- Most OF the sIsners
of that report had made a personal in
spection of these two great waterways
Ihey were thoroughly familiar with the
characteristics of these canals and were
convinced that the canal across the
lsthmus should be made to conform
with the Old World water way system
Minority Report Reviewed.
20 Witness declared that so far as he
could be certain the s!gners of the
minority report had not made such a
careful observation. To his mind they
based their opinions upon the greater
cost OF sea-level over a lock canal.
and the 'unsurmountable" obstacles IN
the geographical conditions of the 18TH
mus roVte. The majority signers, he
sald,-took into consideration and decided
that the additional outlay OF expense Of
a sea-ievel canal was within a conserva-
way.
The French engineers" he emphati-
caIly declared. were not asleep when
they were planning a canal across the
isthmus. They did not change the cur
Vature~ Instead they intended to broad
en- or flatten such a condition He
men explained the reasons why the ma
Jorlty did not take UP this phase of the
question, which he claimed was that n
me real or actual draft of vessels and
their> steering facilities were Clearly
represented. such al argument would
not hold weight
Takes Issue With Taft.
Taking up another Phase Of Secretary
T6fts letter of transmittal wherein he
contended that the proposed plan of the
majority would not be up to the stand
ard established by statistics at hand
General Davis said that he could not
see wherein a sea-IeveI canal would not
meet with any prescribed standard and
not accommodate all commerce that
would apply for transmission across the
1sthmus. He gave an illustration on
maps how the plans Of the majority
would really work out.
Senator Morgan interrupted at this
luncture, requesting that Mr.. Davis be
required TO furnish the committee with
diagrams for Incorporation in the record
OF the proceedings for the information of
the Senate.
Important Points Compared.
General Davis compared the important
points in the two reports pertaining TO
the construction of a canal and is ulC'-
mate cost. He said the majority MEM
bers of the board of consulting engi-
needs in their report coptended that it
would take upward Of twenty years to
complete a sea-level canal while the
canal that was proposed oy the minor
ity members could be Quilt in nine
years
he said that in the minority report
Ss,J5i,0oo was asked TO construct locks
for lock canal, while the majority
asked only S.4000o0 for locks and the
construction Of a Gamboa dam; s6OOO-
Oo0 of. this amount was to be used in
the Gamboa dam alone, leaving only
81, 10000 for locks.
The Gatun excavation, according to
the general view, could be completed in
cavation, according TO the minority
views, would require eight and one-half
years.