Show PANAMA ROUTE FOR SALE PROBABILITY that the THE I controversy between bet eon England be beam and the United States may amicably am settled and that the next session of congress may ma be called upon to take tak steps authorizing tho the construction of the waterway has awakened the interest of the tho Panama Canal company When Whim it became evident eident that the United States would build an nn isthmian isthmian isthmian mian canal tho th French company at once showed a disposition to sell their incomplete undertaking with the rights acquired to the American government The Tho chief difficulty in negotiating such a deal lies in the wide distribution of the stock in small blocks purchased by Frenchmen mainly through motives mothes of patriotism It would be necessary that all of this should be transferred as any an joint ownership by outsiders would not be agreeable to Amen Ameri Americans cans As tp the relative merits of the Panama route and that running through Nicaragua President t Mc McKinley McKinley McKinley Kinley appointed a commission commiss on to tomake tomake tomake make an investigation and report Their report has not yet ct been handed in but Walter V alter Wellman ellman V tho the corre correspondent correspondent correspondent of the Chicago Record Herald who gave the gist g st of the su supreme supreme preme premo courts co s decision in ill the insular cases several days ahead of its of official official official announcement declares that a majority of the canal commission favor the tho Panama route If this be betrue betrue betrue true and if the commissioners cm em embody body their preference nce in their report the French Fr company will undoubtedly undoubtedly edly edily bo b able to get got a hearing That the Frenchmen are arc prepared to make a definite offer of sale is in indicated indi di by b the arrival in Washington a few fow days ago a o of M 1 Hutin Rutin the tho I president of the Panama company 1 Thu appearance of the head of tho the company thus early in iii the capital makes it look Jook as ns if the French syn syndicate syndicate dicato was prepared to spare no ef of effort effort fort in negotiating a deal dell One Oje of the time chief objections that have ha been urged to tho the Panama route from an American standpoint is that it lies much farther to the south and would necessitate a longer voy voyage voyage voyage age for American boats This how however however however ever is offset in a measure by the tho fact that tho the waterway would be much shorter than the tho ore o e through Nicaragua Regarding the obstacles to be bo encountered and tim tIle relative cost there thero has always alwa s been much di divergence divergence of opinion |