Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-27
OPENING OF CANAL
Congressman Favor Celebra-
ton in This City.
OTHER CITIES WANT IT
Southwestern and Pacific Coast
Towns Are in Lists.
CONGRESS MAY DECIDE
Would Make Designation for OBJ
servance Should an Appropriation
Be Made for the Purpose.
OTHER CITIES WANT IT
DECIDE
CONGRESS

should be officially celebrated in Wash
ington, the National Capital, in the opin-
ion Of a number of members of Congress
President Taft, it is understood, would
give his official approval of such plan.
and, in fact, is very favorably inclined
to having the international celebration OF
the great event here.
But If the celebration is To be held in
Washington the friends of the movement
have much work to do before the Ma
tional Capital may be settled upon as the
city in which the nations of the world are
to meet in honor of the completion OF the
canal
Already a number of cities have start
ed movements for holding the. celebra-
ton in their confines. Among them are
San Francisco, New Orleans, Galveston
and San Diego. Their claim is that they
will be directly benefited by the opening
of the new channel of commerce, that
they are seaports and that the celebra-
ton should be by the sea.
John Barrett director of the bureau OF
American republics, said this morning
that he and the bureau which he rep
resented were heartily in favor of great
celebration, international in scope, In
honor of the opening Of the canal.
Congress to Say.
Il have spoken in favor of such plan
i'm a number of the cities of the country
during the last year. said Mr.. Barrett
but where the celebration shall be held
is matter that must be determined in
the future AS the head of the bureau of
yrrrl6 nor
for me to insist that the celebration
should be in Washington. 1t may be
that there will be series of celebrations
of the opening of the canal throughout
the country. This will all depend upon
the activity of the cities which wish to
celebrate the event. Undoubtedly gov
eminent aid will be asked for these celer
brations. and in that case 1t VIII rest WIN
Congress as to which city shall be chosen.
1t may be that the Congress will dlstrib-
ute its appropriation to several cities
which desire to celebrate.
''Along with the celebration there
should be a great international fair, or
exposition. in (which the republics OF
America should make displays of their re-
sources and their commercial activity.
am deeply interested in this plan for the
benefit of the twenty republics that lie to
the south of us.
.If there is a series of celebrations III
various cities it may be possible for the
governments which send exhibits to this
country to have the exhibits transferred
from one city to another This Woulo
be the better plan If there are several
celebrations and fairs, for it would not
be practicable for the governments of the
other republics to divide up their ex-
hibits nor their appropria tionS for them
SO that each city might receive a share.
'"rhe cities on the coast say that the
great celebration of the CANAL opening
gh u
that the navy and merchant marine
should play a large part. There is con
siderable justice in this claim"
Mr.. Barrett said that he had dis
cussed the plan for great celebration
with President Taft and had found the
President very well disposed to it.
Wants It on Pacific Coast.
Senator Flint of California, the chair
man of the Senate interoceanic canals
committee, which has to do with franz
ing all legislation for the Canal Zone
in the Senate, said this morning that
he thought the celebration should be
held on the Pacific coast.
L do not recognize the right of the
National Capital to this celebration
said Senator Flint, for it is essentially
naval affair. l would like to see an
other great naval demonstration at the
time of the opening of the canal. Let
the fleet start from New York and sail
up to the ports on the Pacific coast. 1t
would be a wonderful contrast to the
voyage which the fleet has recently made
around the cape
THE senator said that he thought the
government would probably appropriate
money for the celebration, but that it
was so far away at the present time that
he could not say how much would be al
lowed nor whether it would be given
all to one city.
Representative Mann, chairman Of the
House committee on interstate and for
eign commerce, said this morning that
he believed there should be celebration
of the opening Of the canal on the Canal
Zone, and that when the time came he
had no doubt but what the committee OF
which he is now chairman would bring
in bill providing for such celebration.
Favors Canal Site.
1.-The proper place for the celebration
is undoubtedly at the canal ITSELF said
Mr.. Mann, land it would be much easier
for the republics of South and Central
America to join in such a celebration
than for them to send representatives to
city i'm the United States. 1t would be
almost as easy for the people on the Pa
cific coast to send their representatives
to Panama as to send them to Washing
ton.
Mr.. Mann said that he thought there
might be some ceremonies held in Wash
ington at the time of the. opening of the
canal, and that there might be others in
various cities throughout the country.
Il have not given any consideration to
the proposition for holding an interna-
tional fair or exposition in connection
with the opening Of the CANAL said Mr..
Mann. 1.-THE committee on eXpositions
and Industrial arts would have that mat
ter in hand
Mr.. Mann said that he thought the
canal would be completed in 1915 unless
some unforeseen difficulties arose.
Indeed. / believe that the canal will be
in use before 1915" said Mr.. Mann. lat
present the work consists largely in
dumping in the cement to make the locks.
The more of this work is done the faster
the work will be done. and it may result
in finishing the canal ahead of the sched-
uled time.
II do not believe that ships will be
called upon to wait for any formal OPEN
ing of the canal but that just as soon as
the canal is finished ships will be allowed
to go through. 1t may be possible. how
ever, to have a celebration in connection
with the passage of the first ship through
the canal, provided we can learn far
enough ahead the date of completion"
AMEDrrA vTrTnc m nEDMANv