The Washington times., 1915-12-07

This has reused the deep concern OF
those original advocates Of the Nicar-
aqua route, who for many years have
protested, In the face seeming assur-
ance to tho contrary. that 1t was
fearful mistake to choose the Panama
route. Many of the Nicaragua sup
porters are now joining the "1-toid-you-
So club, and they are not without .ust'' |
fication in the record. for many OF them
did predict Just what has been happen
ing at Panama. |
1T Is very important that this coun- ,
try shall not let any other nation get ]
control Of the Nicaragua route at this ,
| time" declared Congressional vet
eran. who has been in Washington
| long enough to have voted on every
piece of canal legislation from the pur-
. chase OF the Panama ditch down to
date. Continuing. he said
THE Nicaragua franchise Is In the
market; anybody is liable to get II. and
the United states would have no
ground 20 object IL Canada should be-
come a competitor. There might be
some reason for cpiecting Il any other
| than an American nation sought to Sc
| cure that route. But the same reason
that can be urged against letting any
! non American hation control an Amer
favor Of Canada as OF the United
States. 1t has not been suggested that
the British Empire. or Great Britain,
, should have anything TO do with tho
Mica raSua plan ~ Canada: merely that
| the Canadian nation may enter the lists.
OF course that would amount TO MAX
ing the new canal n British affair: II
would have the hacking OF the british
nation. and the support of the British
| navy in case OF war.
Affect Foreign Policy.
In view Of the range of alliances
! that Great Britain has perfected incl.
dent to the present war, and OF the eN-
tension OF those complexities Of foreign
relations that may he expected after
the war, It would be nothing less than
an abd;cation OF the Monroe policy to
permit Canada to take the Nicaragua
franchise and build a ditch"
! Moreover, the same speaker insisted,
It may at length prove that Nicaragua
Is the route by which to construct TIE
only successful canal. For. as he went
on:
Nicaragua route as against Panama:
There ia little doubt. in my mind, that
the decision In favor Of Panama was
dictated by the belief. then prevalent
that If we bought Panama we should
build a sea-ievei canal: II was com.
mon understanding that Nicaragua
, meant the same as locks. while Pana-
. ma, at that stage. was supposed TO De
synonymous with a sea-level construc-
ton.
"But after the Panama property was
bought from France. various cons,dera-
these. I think. was the desire to have
the canal completed for use as soon
as possible. Great pressure was
, brought to bear in both House ana
, and there was great debate on the
subject In both houses: a debate ina,
= in considerable part may be repeated
: before the present session is ended.
| Sounds Like Prophecy.
+ There were warnings then thai
Panama vas not adapted to the lock
plan: and there ia a magnificent dis
S cussion of that subject, in the oook
I by NJ. Bunau-Varilla. who was chie'
: engineer of tho old French company
which will sound like prophecy
9 somebody. IN the light OF the preseh'
conditions at Panama, produces ana re-
reads it to Congress. Somebody VII
t do it, TOO Bunau-N arilla wanted
!, sea-level canal dug. and lis reasons
u are only made the more eInphauc ps
t the conditions now existent. lie Tore
=. saw just what is happenins.
Not only this. There was an inter.
national commission OF engineers :. !.
consider and report as to the desirable
y type Of canal to build. All the foreigf
e engineers favored the sea-levei plan
the bare majority of Americans al
took the other view, and II was com
l. mon belief that their views refiecteS
4 other considerations than engineering
that Is, that they were under some pres
n sure OF political influence that hnet
them up for the plan that was finaii!
. adopted.
It Domination Of Goethals.
o After the French canal was bough
) and the lock canal decided upon. ther
10 were varying experiences before Gen
n eral Goethals was given the complet
= control under which he carried the wor
~ to completion and opened the canal
n temporarily. as we now know. He wa
r given the powers of czar, first b
n executive orders of Secretary OF Wa
:. Taft. He dominated engineering, ad
ministration. everything.
I'd Tn Congress it was much the samt
- General Goethals possessed the com
plets confidence of commanding ma
eS torttv in the House committees on bot
~ appropriations and interstate commerce
y and likewise in the Senate committee
le on interoceanic canals and appropris
tions. He never bothered much aboI
IL consulting with anybody except tn
O. committee cha1rmen: the rest of ii
M members were treated with as scar
u" courtesy as he commonly accorded
his subordinates In handling the wor
OF building the canal. II was a on
es man performance throughout, and no
that II looks as II a monumental mi
r take had been made. there is desire
ce know about how It happened to /
made"
VIC For years there has been an unde
of current OF criticism, on the part of
minority of Congress. because of II
IL disposition to heap all the honors M
Nv recognition OF the canal achievement {
at only minority. and criticism p'fess' Of sS
ch thing regarding the canal work has
,.n the more recent wears come to he r
III rarded as very had form; an indie
ng tiyn OF general bad temper. Men wi
Mt originally voted against the Panan
on route. or against the lock .ype OF ditto
III h., ~ 4 L.