The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-19
PRESIDENT GIVES
HIS APPROVAL TO
THE LOCK CANAL
Notifies Congress of
Agreement With Mi
nOrity Report.
SIDES WITH AMERICANS
Says They Were Unit in De-
ciSion as Against Plans
of Foreigners.
SIDES WITH AMERICANS

President Roosevelt this afternoon
sent message 70 Congress approving
the lock type Of canal for the trans
sstnmian waterway. He says.
/ submit herewith the letter of the
Secretary Of War transmitting the re-
rgrt Of the board of consulting engineers
on the Panama Canal, and the report OF
the TStbmian Canal commission there
on. together with a letter written to the
chairman Of the Isthmian Canal Com
mission by Chief Engineer Stevens.
Both the Board OF Consulting EnSi-
neers and the Canal Commission divide
in their report The majority of the
Board of Consulting Engineers. eight
i'm number including the five foreign
engineers. favor a sea-level canal and
one member of the Canal Commission
Admiral Endicutt. takes the same view
Five Of the eight American members
of the Board Of Consulting Engineers
and five members OF the Isthmian Canal
Commission favor the lock canal and
so does Chief Engineer Stevens. The
Secretary of War recommends lock
canal pursuant to the recommendation
of the minority of the Board Of Con-
sulting Engineers and Of the majority
of the Canal Commission. After care
ful study of the papers submitted and
fun and exhaustive consideration Of the
whole subject / concur in this recon-
mendation
Foreigners Against It,
II viii be noticed that the American
engineers on the consulting board and
on the commission by a more than two
10 one majority favor the lock canal.
whereas the foreign engineers are a
unit against it. / think this is partly
to be explained by the fact that the
great traffic canal of the old World is
the Suez canal, sea level canal,
whereas the great traf1c canal Of the
New World is the Sault ste. Marie
canal. a lock canal. Although the lat
ter. the 500. is closed 10 navigation dur
ing the winter months, it carries an
nually three times the traffic of the
Suez canal
In my judgment the very able aTgu-
ment Of the majority of the board of
consulting engineers is vitiated by their
failure to pay proper heed to the les
sens taught by the construction and
operation Of the 500 canal 1t must
he borne I'm mind, as the committee points
out. that there is no question of build
ing what has been picturesquely termed
The Straits OF Panama. that is, a
waterway through which the largest
vessels could go with safety at unin-
tempted high speed.
Both the sea level canad an dthe pro-
posed lock canal would be too narrow
and shallow 10 be called with any truths
fulness "a strait, or 10 have any of the
properties of a wide. deep water strip.
Both of them would be canals. pure
and simple. Each type has certain dis
advantages and certain advantages. But
in my judgment the disadvantages are
fewer and the advantages very much
greater I'm the case of a lock canal sub
stantially as proposed in the papers
forwarded herewith; and I call especial
attention to the fact that the chief en-
Eineer. who viii be mainly responsible
for the success of this mighty engineer
ing feat and who has therefore a pecu-
liar personal interest i'm judging aright.
Is emphatically and earnestly in favor
OF the lock canal project and against the
sea level canal project.
Some Facts Adduced.
a careful study of the reports seems
10 establish a strong probability that
the following are the facts: The saa-
ieVei canal would be slightly less ex-
POSED to damage in the event of war.
ne running expenses. apart from the
heaVy cost OF interest on the amount
employed 10 build it, would be less: and
for small ships the time of transit would
probably be less On the other hand
the lock canal at level of eighty feet
or thereabouts would NOT cost much
more than half as much 10 build en5
could be built in about half the time
while there would be very mich less
CONTINUED on Second PAGE,