, 1913-11-12
SAYS CANAL WILL BE BUILT.

SAYS CANAL WILL BE BUILT
The report that some foreign Power was
about to finance the building OF q canal
through the Isthmus Of Darien was first men,
toned to the Herald correspondent by Mr..
Bunau- Vanilla in an interview criticising the
Tsthmian Canal Commission for not having
built a sea level caaal. He said that a sea
level canal would be built from the Carbide
an Sea to the Pacific Ocean, if not by the
deepening of the Panama Canal by some
other agency. At the same time, he sand
that if the United States did not build the
cana! some other nation would.
In this connection it is recalled that q
cable despatch from London the latter part
of September called special attention to the
far reaching possibilities of the concessions
granted in Colombia to the firm Of Pearson
& Son, of London. ut is not improbable"
the despatch reported the London Standard
as saving, "that the construction of an in
ter-oceanic canal along the course of the
Atrato River will be undertaken, and this
would have the effect of minimizing the
Importance of the Panama Canal at once"
According to Consul Martellc, whose
statements are supported by documents he
has received from the Minister of Foreign
Relations at Bogota, Minister Du Bots, who
went to BOgota ostensibly to see II some
arrangement could not be made to propltlate
Colombia for the alleged activity or the
United States in the secession of Panama,
really went to obtain an option for the canal
route. Consul Martello says Minister Du
Bots attempted to close with Colombia a
deal similar to that made with Nicaragua
when the United States obtained the option
on the Nicaragua canal route, and that the
sole object of the proposal was to head off
the construction of the canal by some other
Power.
TEXT OF THE PROPOSALS..
Official documents received by Consul
Martello contain these proposals as coming
from the United Stntes:-
''Firsf. signature by Colombia of the
tri-purtite treaties.
acknowledgement of S1O,O O0,O 900 to
Colombia for a seventy-fve year option to
build an inter-oceanic canal by the Atrato
route, and for the rights of establishing
coaling stations on the islands of San An
dreas und Providencia.
'Thirl-Favourable Intervention of the
United States for the settlement of all
questions pending between Colombia and
Panama.
"Fourth.-Submission to arbitration OF
the claim bearing upon the reversion OF
any rights of Colombia in the Panama Rail
road.
"Fifth.-Concession of Colombia of ex-
traordinary preferential rights in the Pana-
ma Canal.
A transcript of the interview between the
Colombian Foreign Minister aud Mr.. Du
Bots accompanies the proposals. Accord.
ing to the documents, Mr.. Du Bots amplifed
the proposals with the following statement
GAS to the second proposal, the option
for the construction of an inter-oceanic
cannl by the Atrato route. and the privilege
of coaling stations in San Adreas and Pro-
videncia Islands, they would carry the
following advantages for Colombia =
HER SOVEREIGNTY INTACT.
eff ever such a canal should be- built Col
ombia would have a great inter-oceanic wat
erway within her own territory over which
her sovereignty would remain intact. AS
the decision regarding the construction of
THE canal remains equally at the discretion
of both nations, the United States would
have to negotiate a treaty with Colombia in
case the increase of the commerce of the
world should render such construction ne
cessary within the course of the next seven
ty-fve Years. At such time Colombia would
have the right to dictate the conditions
which would serve as a basis for the con-