Show THE SPOONER CANAL BILL The longer the isthmian canal proposition proposition proposition prop prop- is discussed in Congress the themore themore themore more It seems to swim into the drift of snags snag that have floated or have been pushed In Its way When the provisions provisions provi provi- of the Spooner compromise bill were Vere given to the public the other day a vey general impression was created that they would obviate most difficulties difficulties ties in the path of the measure and satisfy criticisms of the various methods meth meth- proposed for the organization on and conduct of thc the work But ut if we may accept accept- the views vie of the New York Evening Posts able ble Washington corres correspondent correspondent cor cor- res respondent the Spooner bill is not calculated calculated calculated cal cal- to satisfy the Government or orth or orthe orthe th the Country should hould operations under it orne be necessary The Evening correspondent says The Spooner amendment to the in in- in ter-oceanic ter canal bill introduced Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day is satisfactory to the Pan Panama ma element element element ele ele- ele- ele ment in Its general purpose but is criticised sed for its superabundance of de de- de- de tail There is a feeling that it would have been stronger if it had simply authorized the President to buy under certain conditions the entire property and interests of ot the Panama Canal company without specifying the Items embraced in this catalogue and particularly particularly particularly par par- without putting d down wn the actual actual actual ac ac- ac- ac number of ot shares of stock in the railroad company now owned by the canal company The President o ought al also o it is thought to be empowered to construct the canal using for that pur- pur puse such agencies as in his judgment judgment the best promise of or go good ct work and md speedy dY completion TIe The trou trouble le with bringing in the Secret Secretary ry of War a a as the constructing agent Is that the engineer corps of the army Is already overloaded with tasks which it cannot begin to dispose of and this fact is so so widely known that the bill is open to attack on the ground of Impracticability or r as an entering wedge Medge for increasing a staff department department department depart depart- ment of th the military establishment Another nother point criticised Is the provi provision pro pro- vi vision ion that in case the Nicaragua route Is chosen after all all the waters of Lake Nicaragua and San Juan river shall shaH be used as far as possible and lad in case the he Panama route is chosen the work already done by the canal company shall be utilized These things might safely have been taken for granted especially if the army en- en ginee s had the work in charge The Tiie trouble with a measure carrying carrying carry carry- ing so 50 many details is that it presents a great many points for attack whereas where where- as a 3 simple measure containing only one idea and that broadly stated of offers offers of- of fers a f strong trong solid front to the enemy The Nicaragua people eople or the more reasonable na le element among them have nothing very bad to say of the Spooner Spoon Spoon- er amendment amE They pi profess of ess inde Indeed d to find considerable comfort in It it sinca it so distinctly directs the President Preel- Preel dent in case the conditions prescribed as preliminary Ito to the choice of the Panama route are not fulfilled he shall choose the Nicaragua route This they sa say practically assures the success success success suc suc- cess of Nl Nicaragua aragua The chances seem seeth seem very fair that the Spooner amendment will wUl go through the Senate What the House will o oIs 9 Is another matter but there Is always aiwas the possibility of a conference i in the background and and these oth other r things being equal usually favor the Senates Senate's side of a dispute ti |