Evening star., 1928-04-08
CONGRESS MAY APPROVE
SURVEY FOR NEW CANAL
Increasing Use of Panama Waterway
Emphasizes Need of Nicaraguan
or Some Other Route.

direction Of the Secretary Of War, shall
also make an engineering survey and an
investigation for the purpose OF deter-
mining the possibilities and cost OF en-
larging the Panama Canal 70 the ex-
tent which may be necessary TO meet
the future needs Of interoceanic snip
ping"
The President would report the result
Of these investigations. together with
his recommendations, TO subsequent
Congress. 70
The United States already possesses
exclusive proprietary rights for TIE con-
struction and operation of a canal
through Nicaragua, which we're obtained
for consideration Of SO 900, under
treaty with Nicaragua in 1915.
Panama Canal Traffic.
( In support OF his contention that the
/ proposed Nicaraguan canal should be
/ unoertaken in the near future. SenaE5r
/ Mcclellan has laid before the Senate
/ figures showing that the number Of
transits through the Panama Canal
| has increased from LOIS in 1915 TO
/ 5.475 in 1927. He takes the position
| that If the business Of the present canal
| has increased 500 per cent in IL years,
| it is not unreasonable to suppose that a
/ similar increase may take place during
/ the next IL years II that should oc-
/ cur. Senator McKellar believes another
canal would be necessary. and he argues
/ the Government should proceed 70 plan
a Nicaraguan route.
! Senator Edge. on the other hand, be-
/ lieves 1t would be almost impossible Of
execution from a business standpoint
/ to direct the Government TO construct
/ canal, sea-level or otherwise, until
survey had been brought down TO date.
/ with the newer engineering methods
/ and ideas relating to sea-level canals
/ The cost Of building a second canal
along the Nicaraguan route is prob
/ lematical and is one Of the questions
/ that would have 10 be ascertainsd bv a
present-day survey. The McKellar bill
contemplates a bond issue up 70 a limit
Of $500, 100000 TO meet the construction
cost.
+ Considers EnIarging Canal
During a debate on the subject re-
Gently Senator Fess, Republican. OF
Ohio asked Senator McKellar il he
| had considered the possibility Of en-
larging the Panama Canal. The
Senator from Tennessee replied that
he did not believe il is possible. and
thought it would cost more than .
canal in Nicaragua If ii were possible.
LIE IESOAutlDk1 VA OEAAdbDA A4DN~
ever would have the Army engineers
compile the latest expert information
on this proposal as well as on the
feasibility of new canal in the nearby
Republic of Nicaragua.
The question Of how near the volume
Of business has approached 70 the
capacity of the Panama Canal also
could be gone into during prelimi-
nary survey such as has been proposed.
When the subject was being discussed
in the Senate a few days ago several
members indicated a desire for infor-
nation on this point.
Senator McKellar. after giving sta
tistics on the steady increase in the
use of the Panama Canal, told his
colleagues that the Government still
owes about sI34. zoo. 900 on the bonds
issued for its construction. but he pre-
dicted that the net income of the canal
during the next 10 years probably vii
be more than suficient to pay these
bonds According to the figures ne
presented, the receipts from the canal
last year were SIS. .0OO. 900. He esti-
mated the cost Of operation at $1,000. =
900. leaving about $4,000. 900 as annual
income
Engineers began inQuiring into the
practicability of a short cut between
the oceans through Nicaragua as long
ago as 1850 and at various times from
then until the United States success
fully accomplished the Panama Canal
project. The recent consideration oy
members OF the Senate Of the prob
able shipping business Of the future
has served TO revive interest in the
subject.