Evening star., 1947-12-31

Central America or taking over the work in
Panama abandoned by the French. Rear Ad-
miral John G. Walker headed the inquiry. In
the company of carefully chosen group Of
experts, he journeyed to Europe and then to
both Panama and Nicaragua. Everywhere the
party went its members were received as
honored guests, provided with vast quantities OF
data. invited to ask any question they might
care to have answered. They came home stut1ed
with knowledge about waterways OF every sort
and on November 16, 1901, the commission re-
ported in favor Of the Nicaragua route.
Commissions Attitude Altered.
But Admiral Walker and his colleagues did not
reckon with Philippe Jean Bunau-Varilla. This
"sly intriguer" was a native Of France who
already had played q considerable role In
Panama, first as an engineer and subsequently
as an agent of the French investors in the
canal project. He arrived in Washington In
the autumn of 1901 determined to persuade the
Government Of the United States to buy out
the bankrupt French company The price he
demanded at the commencement Of the
negotiations was 100000. At the psyche
logical moment, he threw $50 100000 out the
window" This prompted Admiral Walker and
his associates to change their minds. On
January 10, 1902, they recommended the
Panama route.
Large majorities in both branches Of Con-
gress. however favored the Nicaraguan alter
native Bunau-Varilla set himself the task Of
converting" these critics Of his scheme. He
wrote letters, he published pamphlets, he
button-holed individual Senators and Repre-
sentatives But he accomplished little-untl
on May 8, 1902, Mont Pelee in the far-distant
island of Martinique erupted destroying the
city Of Saint-Pierre and causing the death OF
approximately 10000 people. The disaster
created profound impression everywhere. To
Bunau-Varilla 1t was benefaction. Says
Gerstle Mack in The Land Divided: Panama
partisans had contrasted the complete absence
Of volcanoes and the rare occurrence and
relative mildness of earthquakes in the isthmus
region with the existence Of numerous vol
canoes and frequent severe earthquakes in
Nicaragua" But "of the IA or IS isolated VOL
canic peaks in Nicaragua only a few have
shown signs Of activity since the Spanish con-
quest, and all but one Of these are fairly remote
from the proposed canal line. Naturally
Nicaragua enthusiasts denied the existence Of
danger to the canal from earthquake or lava
flows In 1891 the directors Of the Nicaragua
Canal Construction Co. had insisted that
liability Of damage = = from volcanic action
may be dismissed as too remote for considera-
tion.' In 1899 the presumably impartial
first Walker commission reported the Nicaragua
canal region practically exempt from any
seismic influences of sufficient force to cause
destruction or danger to any part of the canal
route"
Volcanic Disturbances in Politics.
Nonetheess, Mr.. Mack continues: 'The erup-
tion of Mont Pelee made Congress as we'll as
the American public acutely volcano-conscious
and so played directly into the hands Of Bunau-
varilla. - He sent copy Of his Panama or
Nicaragua? pamphlet to every Senator; Hanna
called the senates attention to q map Of
Central America with the active craters con-