The Washington times., 1923-08-22
NEED FOR CANAL
IN NICARAGUA
PRESENTED
Writer Urges q. s. Begin Work
on New Route to Insure
Safety Of Nation.
BY JAMES X. POLLOCK.
Coanaopolltan News Service.

WILLIAMSTOWN. Mass, Aug.
Build the Nicaragua canal
and build It soon" Wallace. Thonip-
son, writer on Pan-American sub
jects, who just returned from Cen.
tral America, urged today at the In.
Stitute Of Politics. The possibility
Of destroying the Panama canal IN
time Of war is so great, he pointed
out. and the capacity OF the canal
so limited, that steps should 6e
taken at once to construct q canal
by the Nicaragua route. Another
reason for q new canal, he said.
was that relations between this.
country and Central America would
be greatly improved by 1t.
II realize that the Panama canal
is vulnerable TO attack in case of
war; he said. Zone bomb landing
on any Of the sir locks would COM
.pleteIy paralyZe the canal, and as
was demonstrated In the recent
navy maneuvars near Panama, even
canal. Our treaty with Great
Britain prevents us from fortifying
the Canal Zone, and in addition, Il
has been understood to prevent as
from exempting our own coaSt-
wise ships from the payment Of
tolls.
Could Be Fortified.
''Now, IL the Nicaragua canal
should be built, there would only be
need for one or two locks, and in
addition, the whole course Of the
canal could be fortified, because we
have no treaty limitations to pree-
vent it. The absolute safety that
could be assured, and the fact that
our coastWise trade could be ex-
empted from tolls, presents two aSi.|
vantages. Since the Panama canal
will soon cease to be any expense
to the United States and will soonS
reach its maximum capacity, we
should be ready to begin another
canal In order to take care CT the
increase Of commerce that is bound
to take place even before the canal
could be constructed. The expense
will not likely lie as great as tIiat
tentailed by the construction OF the
Panama canal, and it is probable
that 1t could be completed sooner.
Besides, Central America expects
us to build the canal, and looks
forward to its construction and
completion as the dawning Of the
new era of her development.
There is no need in this country
to think any longer in terms of the
Panama canal alone, any more than
lit was possible for Intelligent An1eri-
cans to think that when the Union
Pacific railroad was built, there was
never going to be need for an
other line across the continent:
u. 8. Good Faith mt Stake.
'.As regards Central America, the
building Of the Nicaragua canal will
mean far more than the mere crea-
ton of a profitable waterway. IT
is the good faith Of the United
States that is at stake, for the
canal treaty with Nicaragua gives
America not mere option to
build the canal within q specified
time, but rather gives 1t the OPP
ton to build it so long as the world
lasts. Nicaragua gave America,
for a payment OF $3,00O,0 900, the per-
petual rights to the canal, and now
she and some Of her Central Ameri-
can sisters are wondering whether
they did the right thing, especially
as there is no move from Wash
ington even to talk of their own
waterway.
"Our relations to Central America
are vitality important To our Wnole
Latin American policy, and his
question of building the canal
through Nicaragua viii link us up
definitely with the best interests
of Central America and prove our
activity there is not merely for our
own selfish advantage such as keep
ling another from building the canal,
but based on real interest In the
development and prosperity Of the
weakest of our neig hbors.
t'The advantages to those Central
American countris are obvious.
direct route to the Atlantic and
the world with which they have in
rellectual and commercial contact
increased trade, which the Panam7
canal did not bring. and closer
alliance with the United States In
its second great commercial VEN
ture."