Evening star., 1924-02-10
PROPOSED NICARACUAN
CANAL HELD NECESSARY
Purported Shortcomings of Panama
Waterway Used as Argument
for New Route.

IT was because of the political dif-
ferences between the Central Amefi-
can republics that our government
once considered an alternative canal
plan. This provided for a tidewa-
break in the Cordilleras in Colombia,
south of the Panama canal route
Agitation for any new canal in Cen
trail America has been more or less
. sidetracked by the move of eighteen
states looking toward the construc-
ton of system of canal along the
st. Lawrence river which would give
them access from the great. lakes 10
the Atlantic in ocean-going steam
ships. This inland waterway, it IS
argued, would save the farmers and
inland manufacturers millions cf dol
lars annually in freight rates alone.
Connections OF Canal.
In considering present and proposed
canals in Central America it is inter
esting to note that the Nicara guam
waterway would, generally speaking.
connect with the Atlantic on the east
and the Pacific on the west. whereas
the Panama canals western terminus
is in the Atlantic and its eastern end
on the Pacific coast. This is due t.
the fact that below Nicaragua the
isthmus makes a decided bend. The
Panama canal route is forty-three
miles long: the other would lie be-
tween 1f0 and 1S0. However this
great difference in distance would De
offset by the fact that the Nicara-
guam canal would make use of Lake
Nicaragua. an inland sea which was
once connected with the Pacific. The
land locked sharks of this lake ar
living testimonial to that fact Be
sides the lake, long stretch of the
San Juan river could be utilized 50
that the actual canal-making would
only be between twenty-seven and
thirty-five miles. The Panama canal
was all excavation from one END to
the other save for about twelve miles
of artificial lake.
AS early as 1522-seven years be-
fore the Panama canal project was
first talked about-Gil Gonzales Di-
vala explored Nicaragua in an effort
to find a natural waterway between
the Atlantic and Pacific. For many
where in the lagoons and tropical
forests of Central America existed
such waterway. But the early ex-
plorers were doomed to disappoint-
ment. Soon the world speculated on
icnio Galvao. a Portuguese ravi-
gator, proposed four routes for q
canal across the isthmus-one taking
in practically the same route as the
This route was surveyed for the
Spanish government in 1871 by Don
Manuel Galisteo. About half a cen
tury later John Bailey, an American
mapped out the route and in 1872
the United States showed an active
interest in the scheme. President
Grant favored the Nicaraguan canal.
A company was formed and a con-
struction expedition actually arrived
on the scene, but the firm went into
the hands of receivers. The aid of
Congress was invoked, but by this
time the interest of the American
government had been won over 20
the Panama canal project.
Canal Zone Not Owned.
Many people enormously believe
that the United States owns The
Canal Zone. through which the Pan
ANA canal passes. The truth of the
this country and the Republic OF
Panama gives the United States only
a perpetual lease on this ten-mile-wide
strip of land. For this privilege we
paid Panama $10.000,00o outright and
continue to pay that country S250,000
annually as long as our occupation
continues.
Another popular misconception
about the Panama canal is that our
vessels do not have to pay toll in
going through the waterway. During
the last year of the Taft administra-
tion Congress ruled that American
vessels engaged in coastwise trade
were exempt from paying toll. Great
Britain protested so strongly that at
the instigation of President Wilson
this 'free-toll' provision was re-
pealed: That part of the HayPaunce-
fote treaty on which England based
her claim was section l, article 8,
which reads: THE canal shall be
free and open to the vessels of
commerce and of war of all ma
-
equality, so that there shall be no
discrimination against any such ma
tion, or it's citizens or subjects. in
respect of the conditions or charges
of traffic or otherwise. Such condi-
tions and charges of traffic shall be
just and equitable"