Evening star., 1921-10-09
BY EDWARD \. DINGLEY.


TIME voyage OF the Oregon
around Cape Horn in 1898. to
join the Atlantic fleet, con-
vinced the American people
that a canal across the lsthmus of
fanama was naval as weii as II
commercial necessity. 1t was the
beginning Of a realization of the
dreams of explorers, discoverers.
rulers and statesmen, from the days
OF balboa to the days OF Mckinley
ana f,voaevett. DeLesscps trI-u 49,.
failed. Suez was his monument;
r'an.ma his sepulchre. The war with
spain and the sensa ational achieve-
ment of the Oregon translated a
uream INTO a reaIiL,.
Diplomacy is the background Of the
I'ali..iiid canal; the Monroe doctrine
itS InsIIreLion; taIuerlcan uarluE, en-
tcrpr,se anu money Wis luunua .lun.
no fresluent Aicr>lnIey goes the
nvnor OIL iuillauuS the "bls 1oo IN
lcs". Inc lraSI: death OIL AicIAlnley
threw the probIcm ON olner shoulders.
hnuer l>vvseveit n"u ssa..
Into this great international drama
L
,ei. ana MS secretary VI State, Jonn
tIay. Inc power.uI personality AMI
incense 1AIucricuuiSin OIL t'reSluent
roosevelt, tns caiuI terhperanIeiiL esiiu
ailaAs ticdI inInu oI JoIin LAY, gave
~ lue CnlLeu states IN TINS CRITICAL
uuuf w" pn,I ."s-.,eiA." Al
xAnIerlc;lu History.
ihere were three initial steps fac
ing lne FreSluent ana ms secretary
VI .oLale - an agreement with the
,'anania Canai tvtnpany, IAN osree-
uicnL Win the Lnileu states OF CO.
iomDla and the ac.u~l i.uucninS oI
,nv p4UJrcl. Inc nrSt was accom-
pIlshed peaceruiiy by the paynren. OF
o4v,vuv,vuO to the French Panama
COMPANY. Inc second Was accOui-
piisn>u itot So p.a>-."ii!, puL -" d
cnaracteri stically Roosevelt manner.
PERHAPS II Is wise To pass over lne
partisan conlroversy arouiiu the blrln
ot me republic OIL IanalIla. II IS a
closed Chapter since, on the zUrn OF
April last the Columbian treaty, by
winch the United states agreed 10
pay Coiombia $Lo,O0U.vVO. was ratlhed
by the senate. Inc third step was
accomplished after mucn professional
jea,ousy, differences In expert opIn-
IONS and otner cauSes-not a very
glorious chapter in American history.
In april, lsVl, President Roosevelt
"a
the Army and somebody who cannot
quit" And ne did. The Canal Zone
was created and the work progressed
under the direction OF Army oinclals.
Opened for Commerce.
Seven years later, in August, 1914,
the canal was opened for commerce.
The ditch" was the most stupendous
engineering task undertaken in history
up to that time. Enough rock and dirt
was taken from the bed of the canal
to build a wall as high and as thick
as the great wall of China, $500 miles
long. Today the canal is success
In the fiscal year 1913 the receipts in
tolls were $4,343,3S3 and the expenses
were S4.123,12S; in 1920 the tolls were
sS,935,S79 and the expenses s6,54S,272:
in the fiscal year 1921 the tolls were
s12,040,116 and the expenses were
s9,52S,300. The expenses are outside
of fortincationS.
The United States has transformed
this romantic and historic spot from
d pestilence to paradise. The Pan
ANA canal, with its terminal cities,
now is one of the wonders of the
world, attractive because of its mar
velous scenery, its balmy air, its
warm and seductive sunshine. The
story of Columbus, the fable of Ponce
de Leon and the. tales of ancient
forts, castles and dungeons.
But the Panama canal question Is
not settled, nor are the treaties and
laws under which the canal was con-
structed and is operated a closed
book. For many years q diplomatic
and congressional warfare has been
waged around Panama, and the rights
of. the United States and Great Brit
ain in the premises. Unless. the pro-
gram is changed. on Monday. October
10, the. controversy may be renewed