The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-19
FOR LOCK CANAL.
President Roosevelt Transmits
to Congress the Report
Of the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion With Endorsement.
SEA LEVEL WATERWAY.
Would Require SixYears Longer
to Build.
And an Additional Expenditure
of $IOO,OOO,OOO.

Washington, Feb. 10 President
Roosevelt today transmitted to con
gress the report OF the board Of con-
sulting engineers on the Panama canal,
together with the letter of Secretary
Taft, the report Of the isthmian canal
commission, and a letter by Chief En-
gineer Stevens. The letter of the
president is as follows:
ITO the senate and house of represen-
tatives:
"I submit herewith the letter of the
secretary of war transmitting the re-
port of the board Of consulting engi-
neers on the Panama canal, and the
report of the isthmian canal commits
sion thereon, together with letter
written to the chairman of the 18th
mian canal commission by Chief En-
gineer Stevens. Both the board of
consulting engineers and the canal
commission divide in their report.
The majority of the board of consult
ing engineers, eight in number, includ-
ing the five foreign engineers, favor a
sea-level canal; and one member of
the canal commission. Admiral Endi-
cott, takes the same view. Five of
board of consulting engineers and five
members of the isthmian canal com
mission favor the lock canal, and so
does Chief Engineer Stevens The
secretary of war recommends a lock
canal pursuant to the recommendation
OF the minority Of the board Of con
Sulting engineers and of the majority
or the canal commission After care
ful study of the papers submitted and
full and exhaustive consideration of
the whole subject I concur in this rec
ommendation.
Opinions Compared.
1t will be noticed that the Amer
lean engineers on the consulting board
and on the commission by a more than
Two to one majority favor the lock
canal, whereas the foreign engineers
are unit against 1t. I think this is
partly to be explained by the fact that
the great traffic canal of the old world
is the Suez canal a sea level canal.
whereas the great traffic canal of the
new world is the Saulte Ste Marie
canal, a lock canal. Although the lat
ter, the 500, is closed to navigation
during the winter months it carries
annually three times the traffic of the
Suez canal In my judgment the very
able argument Of the majority of the
board Of consulting engineers is wifi
ated by their failure to pay proper
heed to the lessons taught by the con
struction and operation of the 500
canal 1t must be borne in mind, as
the commission points out, that there
is no question of building what has
been picturesquely termed The Straits
Of Panama; that is waterway
through which the largest vessels
could go with safety at uninterrupted
high speed. Both the sea level canal
and the proposed lock canal would be
too narrow and shallow to be called
with any truthfulness a strait, or to
have any of the properties of a wide
deep water strip Both Of them would
be canals pure and simple.
Each type has certain disadvantages
and cetrain advantages but in my iudg-
ment, the disadvantages are fewer and
the advantages very much greter in the
case of a lock canal substantially as
proposed in the papers forwarded here
with and I call especial attention to
the fact that the chief engineer who
viii be mainly responsible for the sue
cess of this mighty engineering feat, and
who has Therefore a peculiar personal in
terest in judging Alright, is empha tfcally
and earnestly in favor of the lock canal
project and against the sea level pro-
5ect.
Statement of Facts.
"a careful study of the reports
seems to establish q. strong proba bi1ity
that the following are the facts: The
/ seal level canal would be slightly less
exposed to damage in the event Of
war; the running expenses, apart from
amount employed to build it would be
less, and for small ships the time of
/ transit ould probably be less. OF
I course the lock canal at a level of so
/ feet or thereab bouts, would not cost
/ much more than half as much to build
and could be built in about half the
/ time, while there would be very much
! less risk connected with building it,
/ and for large ships, the transit would
! be quicker, while, taking into account
! the interest on the amount saved on
/ building, the actual cost of main
/ tenance would be less. After being
built it would be easier to enlarge the
/ lock canal than the sea level canal
! Moreover. what has been actually dem
/ onstrated in making and operating the
/ great canal, the 500, a more i'm
! portant artery of traffic than the great
] sea level canal, the Suez, goes to sup
/ port the opinion of minority of the
4 the majority of the isthmian canal
/ commission as to the superior safety,
! feasibility and desirability of building
/ a lock canal at Panama.
The law now on our statute books
/ seems to contemplate a lock canal. In
4 my judgment a lock canal as herein rec
commended is advisable. If the congress
( structed its direction will Of course be
carried out. otherwise the canal will be
/ built on substantially the plan of a
/ lock canal outlined in the accompany
/ ing papers, such changes being made of
! course as may be found actually neces-
sary, including possibly the change rec
commended by the secretary of war as
to the site of the dam on the Pacific
side. THEODORE ROOSEVELT
The White House, February 10, 1906 .
Shot at the President.