The Washington herald., 1913-12-28
Ry CASPER F. GOODRICH,
Rear Admiral, q. SN.

hcAI AoAn4AAlp Os . Ns
Before the end of the coming twelve
months ships will pass between the At
lantic and Pacific oceans via the Pana-
ma Canal. A mighty work will have
been accomplished amid great rejoicings
and loud expressions Of pride and con-
graduation.
There are two features in the conduct
Of this enterprise that are quite beyond
praise. viz, the sanitary labors of Col
Gorgas and the executive ability and
force Of Col. Goethals. The first made
the canal possible; to the second we
should be grateful for dispatch, economy,
and the absence of scandal How CRATE
full all Americans must be that not the
faintest breath of suspicion has been or
ever will be directed toward those two
officers, their assistants and the splendid
methods they have adopted which shed
new luster on the national reputation.
In England, Gorgas and Goethals would
be made peers of the realm. 1t seems
pity our means of reward are so limited.
1t Is however. not agreeable to reflect
that after bearing tribute to these men
and to what they have done In the 18TH
mus, We have exhausted our opportunity
for eulogy. The rest Of the story OF
Panama is sadly disheartening.
Although talked Of for generations, as
a deslderatum. the first definite proposal
being made in 152S by Antonio Galvas to
Charles v, it was only in the last last
half OF the nineteenth century that seri-
Gus efforts were made to solve the prob
lem of how to unite the waters OF the
two seas, here separated by a narrow
neck Of land. It is pertinent to remark,
en- passant, that this problem is still un-
solved; the two seas, even after the ca
nal is finished, will remain as far apart
practically, as they ever were.
Sailors DIsIII<ed Locks.
The army and navy OF the United
States surveyed, more or less completely,
the various routes proposed, from the
isthmus of Tehuantepec on the north to
the Atrato-Napipi line at the south.
Every possible route by which ship
canal might be cut across the interven-
ing land was carefully investigated at
the cost Of much suffering and the lives
of some valuable officers and men. By
the consensus Of nautical opinion the
schemes worthy Of consideration finally
narrowed down to two-via Lake Nicara-
qua and at Panama. As to the former,
IL was conceded to be far and away the
best IL the canal had to be built with
locks. or course sailors, whether beiong-
ing to the mercantile marine or to the
navy, are quite unanimously opposed TO
taking their vessels up and down ''an
ocean staircase and they hailed with
joy the announcement that the canal
was to be at Panama and at sea level
1t will be recalled, as a chapter IN the
history of the Panama Canal that large
party in Congress, ably led by the late
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, was
strongly in favor of the Nicaragua pro-
ject. The so-called "Spooner act" OF June
Is, 1902 based on the understanding that
the canal was to be at sea level and
across the isthmus OF Panama, authorized
the President to proceed with Its con-
struction provided suitable arrangements
could be made with the republic OF
Columbia and a satisfactory purchase
effected Of the French Panama Canal
Company's rights and property. Failing
these, he was to build the canal on the
Nicaragua route. That is to say, he was.
IL practicable, to build a sea level canal
at the only place where such canal Is
possible. II he had to build one with
locks he was TO go to Nicaragua-the
better site in itself and Offering the ad-
vantage of some 500 miles shorter dis
tance between our East and West coasts.
AInny QueStions to Settle.
How many present regrets would have
been avoided. IL We had to have locks.
had we stuck to Nicaragua, where the
people were only too willing to grant us
every conceivable right and privilege! We
have a host of unpleasant questions on
our hands at Panama and We have not
got the thing we really wanted,