Evening star., 1939-02-06
Canal Defense Plans
Revive Nicaragua
Proposal
Political, Typographical,
CIimutic Difficulties
Confront Route
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The interest of foreign spies IN
the Panama Canal has turned some
omcial thoughts again to the pos
sibilities of an interocean waterway
across the jungles Of Nicaragua.
The project for another mid
American water route between the
oceans there has been discussed by
governments since gold-seeking
Forty-niners crossed Nicaragua in
their rush to California.
Secretary of War Woodring's ad-
monitions that the Panama Canal
must be made "impregnable"-in-
volving possible construction OF q
new 5000, 100000 set of locks-has
led congressional proponents OF q
Nicararagua Canal to repeat their
arguments for construction Of
supplementary waterway.
In 1898, President Roosevelt in
dicated the administration had no
immediate interest in the project.
The Forty miners" who first used
the Nicaraguan route landed at
Greytown (San Juan del Norte),
sailed up the wild 120-mile San Juan
River to Lake Nicaragua, 10 miles
across that deep alligator infested
body of water, to small port near
the town of Rivas, and continued
overland on muleback across a mar
row strip of hill country to the
Pacific Coast.
Route Long Discussed.
Before the Panama Canal was
built, the Nicaragua route for many
years was considered the most likely
one. 1t was the subject of lively
discussion between Great Britain
and the United States. which led in
1850 to the Clayton -Bulwer treaty
assuring each national equal rights
in any canal across Central Amer
lea. This pact was abrogated in
1901, however, by the Hay-Paunce-
fote accord.
In 1916, after the Panama Canal
was in operation. the Bryan
Chamorro treaty with Nicaragua
gave the United States for $4,000, 600
a 99-year option on a canal route
across the more northern country
Difficulties confronting the build
ing of a Nicaragua canal are OF
three kinds-political, Typographical
and climatic.
There have been indications some
sectors of Latin American opinion
might like to see the matter made
basis for abrogating the Bryan
Chamorro pact. The late Nicara-
guam rebel leader, Augusta Cesar
Sandino, desired a canal built as an
inter-American project, apparently
excluding the United States, and
asked a Latin American parley at
Buenos Aires to discuss this pos
sibility.
Costa Rica Involved.
Construction of Nicaraguar
canal also would involve negotia
tions with Costa Rica, The Sar
Juan River skirts Nicaragua's south.
ern border for q considerable dis.
tance, and nine-tenths of its watel
reaches the Caribbean Sea by cut
ting across the Northeastern Costs
Rican jungles. An agreement wa!
signed by the United States an.
Costa Rica in 1923 to open negotia
tions regarding construction of al
interoceanic canal, but it still il
pending before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
Strategic islands in the Gulf OF
Fonseca, along Nicaragua's north
western shores, would be important
bases If the canal were built. Hon
duras and Ell Salvador, two neigh.
boring republics which also border
on the gulf. claim the Bryan.
Chamorro treaty was signed in dis
regard of their rights to some Of
these islands.
If these diplomatic obstacles were
cleared away, construction of the
canal probably would take 10 year:
for completion. Thus, the Mica.
ragua canal might not influence
the international defense picture ir
the immediate future, but its pro.
ponents believe it would have ar
important long-range effect. They
contend a sea-level canal would b<
far more difficult to put out of com.
mission by bombing or. sabotage
than the Panama waterway, with
its intricate system of locks.
AS for physical difficulties, the
i