Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-19

President Roosevelt today transmitted to
Congress the report of the board of con-
sultIng engineers on the Panama canal. to-
gether with the letter of Secretary Taft,
the report of the isthmian canal commits
sion and letter by Chief Engineer Ste
vens. The letter of the President is as fol-
lows:
To the Senate and House of Represent
atves:
l submit herewith the letter of the Secre-
tary of War transmitting the report OF the
board of consulting engineers on the Pam
anna canal, and the report of the isthmian
canal commission thereon. together with
letter written to the chairman of the
isthman canal commission by Chief En-
g,neer Stevens. Both the board of consult
lng engineers and the canal commission di-
vide In their report. The majority Of tho
board of consulting engineers eight in
number, including the five foreign engineers.
favor a sea-level canal; and one member
of the canal commission, Admiral Enolcott,
takes the same view. Five of the eight
American members of the board of consult
ing engineers and five members of the
isthmian canal commission favor the lock
canal and so does Chief Engineer Stevens.
The Secretary of War recommends a lock
canal, pursuant to the recommendation or
the minority of the board OF consulting en-,
g.neers and CT the majority of the canal
commission. After careful study OF the
papers submitted and fun and exhaustive
seRsiaeration OF the Whole subject concur
IN ftfS recommend a tten.
1t will be noticed that the American engi-
neerS the consulting board and on the
commission by a more than two 10 one ma
jority favor the lock canal, whereas the
foreign engineers a unit against ii.
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 traffic canal of the new
world is the Saulte Ste. Marie canal, lock
canal. Although the latter, 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 viii
ated by their failure to pay proper heed to
the lessons taught by the construction 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-ievel 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 wide,
deep water strip. Both of them would be
canals. pure and simple Each tyne tas
certain disadvantages and certain aIvan-
tages. But in my judgment the disadvantages
are fewer and the advantages very much
greater IN the case of a lock canal Substan-
TALLY as proposed in the papers forwarded
herewith and | call especial atention tn
the fact that the chief engineer, VINO will
be mainly responsible for the success Of this
mighty engineering feat and VINO has ;here
fore a peculiar personal interest in ;udgfne
Alright, is emphatcally and earnestly IN ia
vor of the lock canal project end .inst
the sea-ievel project
The Probable Facts.
careful st;ldy of the reports seems to
establish strong probability that the fol-
be slightly less exposed to damage In the
event of war; the running expenses, apart
from the heavy cost of interest on the
amount employed to build it, would be
less, and for small ships the time OF tran
sit would probably be less. On the other
hand, the lock canal at a level of eighty
feet or thereabouts would not cost much
more than half as much to build and could
be built in about haIf 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 in building, the actual cost OF MAIN
tenance would be less. Alter being Duiit
it would be easier to enlarge the lock
canal than the sea-level canal Moreover,
what has been actually demonstrated in
making and operating the great lock canal,
the 500, a more important artery of traffic
than the great sea-levei canal, the Suez,
goes>to support the opinion OF the minority
Of the consulting board OF engineers and
of the majority OF the isthmian canal conf
mission to the superior safety, feasible
ity and STABILITY OF building a lock ca
nal at Panama.
The law now our statute books seems
to contemplate lock canal. In my Judg-
ment lock canal, as herein recommended,
is advisable. IL the Congress directs that
a sea-Ieyel canal be constructed Its direc-
ton will of course, be carried out Other
wise the canal will be built substan-
TALLY the plan for lock canal, outlined In
the accompanying papers, such changes
being made of course as may be found
actually necessary, including, possibly, the
changes recommended by the Secretary or
War as to the site OF the dam on the Pa
cific side THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, February 10, 1906.