The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15
cording to our author, intent not upon
revival, but only upon salvage.
Ilafneo fh< ,~ud a ninrr Of Aha AXunnkiafh

| century it had become evident that II
the canal was to he built at all 1t must
be built by the United States. At that
time all the talk in the United States
about canal meant Tho Nicaragua
route" Fortunately for the Panama
route, It's indomitable advocate. the pres
ent author, enjoyed the friendship of
John Bigelow and had succeeded In in
noculating that venerable man with
something Of his own enthusiasm. MI.
Bigelow warmly interested himself In
the Panama project. In December. 1898.
after the event Of the Spanish war had
ut once made more obvious the necessity
| of the canal and cleared away some OF
| the obstacles to It's construction. Mr..
Bigelow wrote to NJ. Bunau- Vanilla that
through the Secretary OF State he had
urged the President mot to commit
himself to the Nicaragua route until ne
had taken the same measures to investi-
gate the Panama route that he had
taken to Investigate the Nicaraguan."
Mr.. B!gclow did more. lilo introduced
the undiscouraged advocate of Panama
to TIE StN and enlisted It's ac,ive aid In
behalf OF Panama The interchangeable
Panainan made, ut his own Risk ana
charges, n lobbyist campaign In WASH
ington. In the course Of this campaign
he even ventured to beard In his den
that somewhat NANCY old lion Morgan
of Alabama, the chief champion or
Nicaragua, whom lie found. according
to his own account. not only inacces-
sible to reason upon that subject but
personally insulting. He was more for
tunatc with another and more impor-
tant Senator, Mark Hanna, a business
man" whose authority on matter Of
business, such as the construction OF
the canal 20 eminently was was recog-
nized by all his fellow Senators. At the
same time American technical opinion
had been veering away from Nicaragua
and toward Panama.
Nothing in this book Is more interest
ing than the authors account of his
lobbying for Panama The Nicaraguans
had pooh pooled one OF the strongest OBJ
jections to the Nicaraguan route. It's IL
ability to disturbance by volcanic erup-
lions. To enforce and emphasize this
objection our author relates how he
rummaged all the stamp dealers shops
in Washington for the postage stamps
OF Nicaragua. which showed an active
volcano us. so 20 speak. the emblem OF
the country, until he had secured enough
oI tut STAMPS W OiAt " SNcis
ator. and how upon Il subsequent inves-
t!gation among the like shops In New
York he managed TO secure Il sufficient
number OF these stamps TO mail one 10
, each member OF the House.
Even when public opinion III the United
States and consequently in Congress
had become sufficiently enlightened. very
largely through the missionary work Of
49, t,. .sxI - hC CO.
per,or,ty OF the Isthmlaii route two DIFF
ficulties remained to be encountered.
one was the rcorganized French Pan
ANA Company: the other was the Gov
ernment Of Colombia There was on
the part OF Americans. in and out OF
Congress. Il natural objection to being
done" by either Of these opposing
forces. I; wac not the money. Money was
no object. 1t WAS the objection To be-
ing blackmailed. That Is the real ex-
PLANTATION OF the objection OF the .Ameri-
can Technical Commission TO paying
more than $4,000, 00O for the French
rights IN Panama and Of the threat tina.
If this sum We're refused the canal
should go 70 Nicaragua. The Colon
bian "hoidi1p" was OF the same order
and really was not 10 be tolerated by n
great nation seeking TO prosecute a
great work for the advantage OF all
mankind.
AS TO Colombia. ". Bunau- Narilla con-
firms and supplements the revelation in
Mr.. Roosevelt's recently published auto
biography Of the determination OF the
President to build the canal IN spite OF
Colombia II Colombia continued !nacces-
s!ble to reason. and II, as Mr.. Roosevelt
lpu
had disappointed our expectations by
refusing TO revolt NJ. Bunau-Narilla
tells Il curious story. FOR the verincation
Of which he implicitly appeals TO. the
present Counsellor OF the Department OF
state. then as now the chief American
authority on international law, but then
a professor IN Columbia University. II
is 10 the effect that. desiring to De con-
!irmed In his Judgment that the United
States had the right 10 build the canal.
the objections of Colombia 10 the con-
trary notwithstanding. he discovered
that Prof. Moore had already committed
himself In the same sense. but declined
to say when or how. NJ Bunau-Narilla's
belief that the committal must have
been made to the President Of the Unite
States was soon after fully confirmed by
an interview with President Roosevelt,
IN which II was the Presidential silence
that gave the Presidential consent.
".
The lobbyist campaign in Washing
ton. though the most important and de-
c;s!ve OF NJ. Bunau-V ariila's labors for
his idea, was but part Of his general
campaign Of education" He travelled
about the United States. sowing beside
all waters. addressing luncheon and din
ner parties. convened lad hoe making
detailed eXpositions to Boards Of Trade
and Chambers OF Commerce In many
cities all setting forth the absolute ne
ceSsity Of the Panama route and the
Panama plan. The impression thus made
upon the business men Of the country
necessarily reacted on their representa-
tives in Congress assembled. 1t IS no
exnggeration for him to claim, az he
does claim In this volume. that he was
the one continuous and Indispensable
factor in the making OF the Panama
Canal II has been proposed to name
an island which occurs in the line Of the
canal after him. but also he really ought
to have statue.
After he had convinced American and
ultimately Conversational opinion that