The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-06-29
DECIDE ON LOCK CANAL.
President Roosevelt Wins His Fight in the
Senate.

Washington, D. c., (SpeciaD Gut
loose, now, and build the canal. The
American people want results on the
isthmus as soon as they can be obtain
ed and want them. Digl Dig! Con-
gress and the people are behind us in
our efforts"
Within 49 hours after the completion
OF the Panama Canal legislation Presi-
dent Roosevelt will issue, in effect, the
above order to Chairman Shonts and
Chief Engineer Stevens, of the Panama
Canal Commission
The Senate took position in accord
with the President and the House of
Representatives be declaring for lock
canal across the Isthrnus of Panama.
The result was reached few minutes
after 8 o'clock, and after a days dis
cussion that was almost devoid of inter-
esting incident-quite out of keeping
with the universally acknowledged i'm
portance of the subject There was on
ly one recorded vote in connection with
the disposition of the question, and that
was negative in character, coming on
a motion to lay on the table the lock-
type substitute for the sea-level bill re-
ported by the Committee on Interoceanic
Canals.
This motion was made by Senator
Kittredge, the committee champion of
the sea-level plan, and was voted down
81 to SO. This vote was accepted as
decisive and no one asked for division
on the vote on the acceptance of the
substitute.
The vote terminates what at ore time
threatened to become sharp difference
between the Senate, on the one hand,
and the President and the House on
the other, for there is no denying that
when the bill was reported from COM
mittee the indications in the Senate were
all favorable to the sea-level type There
has recently, however, been a steady
gain by the lock advocates, notwith-
standing the report of the Canal Com
mittee, as we'll as the report of the
Board of Consulting Engineers, were
against them. The engineers report
has figured prominently in the discus
sion, and frequent attention has been
called to the fact that while eight out
of the 10 engineers reported favorably
to a sea-level canal. all of the five dis
senters were American engineers, while
Of the other eight, five were Europeans
Some senators avowed their preference
for the all-American report.
The President expressed his great
qualification at the action of the United
States Senate in supporting his plan for
the construction of lock canal He
has been convinced for several days that
the lock type of canal would be adopted
by the Senate on its final vote, notwith-
standing the report of the majority of
the Interoceanic Canal Committee in
favor of a sea-level waterway. A care
full canvas of the Senate was made and
he was assured that there would be
safe majority in favor, of the lock type,
which he has advocated ever since the
report of the engineers commission was
received
Two days ago the President figured
a maj ority of FIVE in favor of the lock
type of canal, and that is precisely the
majority is received on the test vote
1t was pointed out at the White House
that practically the same senator's who
voted against the lock-canal project also
were opposed to the Panama treaty and
so recorded their votes.