The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-04

Tor Q waterway across the
! = land now known as Panama.
and died stAl believing that such
thing existed. Today this dream is
. rsaiity-the result OF American
brains and money.
~ far back as 1850 the United
states and Great Britain entered into
IN agreement known a. the Clayton
Aniwsr Treaty. the purpose OF which
was 10 extend q joint protection over
. canal between the Atlantic and Pa
CHIC oceAnA When this treaty was
signed Il seemed that the canal would
cross Nicaragua, but the contract
which had been made between that
country and an American Company
In 1ol9 WAS revoked on account OF
the financial difiieulties of the Com
pAny In 1855. Several other projects
were tried but they failed Ike the
Arnt. Just after the Civil War the
canal subject again became upper
most In the minds Of the American
people, and with II came an over
Widening sentiment that the canal
ohouId be controlled by Americans
alone and there was great opposition
- the ratification Of the Clayton
Dulwer Treaty. The canal agitation
ross and fell at intervals until 1880
when Ferdinand deLesseps paid
via1t to President Hayes In the Spring
" that year. The distinguished
rrenchmAn endeavored to get the
consent Of the American Government
to what he called a, European con-
troll Of = projected canal across Pan
ea.aA- President Hayes refused to
grant the request. and again It was
decided that the canal must be under
American control However, the Clay
ton-Buiwsr Treaty stood like buga-
boo and continued so until 1901 whan
g was abrogated and what Is known
- the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty ratified
10 superceds the treaty of 1850. The
latter treaty gave the United States
the right to construct canal, and
also the right OF providing for its reg
citation and management.
10 Leaseps Appears on the Scene.
When Ferdinand deLesseps arrived
OA ths lsthmus In 1879 he was In
the heyday Of his fame as the master
! builder OF the Suez Canal, which had
been completed several years before.
Two or three years before his arrival
- the Isthmus surveys had been
made across Colombia and a French
Company had received a ninety nine
1eAF concession from that Govern
Msnt. One Of the stipulations of the
contract was that a Commission OF
eompstsnt individuals was to lay out
to route and report to the Colon bian
government mot later than 1881.
Through the oxertions OF deLesseps a
eongrsag OF one hundred and thirty
W. individuals was held In Paris In
Nay. 1879. More than half OF the
N1en were friends OF deLesseps and
4 oily = very small per cent. were on
o3neerA and few Of them had ever
Waited the Isthmus, It was a packed
meeting In favor Of deLesseps. and
day adopted his plaza sea level
canal from tho Gulf OF Limon to
HAnAmA Bay, which was to be COM
plAted IN twelve years at tho cost OF
e91l. oo0. 10000. After 4 number Of
tfA1s1srs and selling OF shares de-
L6sseps found himself in full control.
4 and he set to, work with q brain full
/ a. visionary ideas OF his own great
\ 49, - canal builder and his I'M
] Desna bility Of failure. hut ere long he
WAs destined to believe otherwise. He
Nas = man who loved display and he
begAn operations with great csrc-
{ Mony. which. owing to the fact that
~ dynamite which was to start the
lxcAyation At Culebra failed TO ex-
I pIoAA ended In 4 fiasco. Several OF
m mombers OF the congress were
~ quite satisfidd and they went to
\ PaAAma to study the route and make
sepelmates Of the work. Meanwhile
Aexsessepe sailed for New York In the
/ Aepe of selling stock In the company
md Of interesting tho United States
0cvernmsnt in the project and. al
though he failed In both purposes. he
oemt ths most encouraging messages
~ ssnce. telling Of his success along
x&AA6e lines. His schemes. however.
nee&1d In France. and money poured
at<te 9As s6Rsrs OF ME- company IpE
i - flune A 1854 dsLesseps made
A whit 70 The AcanAi ana din
y hAIIs wsSs .glven . III