Show THE ISTHMIAN CANAL United Ted States were were the before Long dreamed of the merchants Philosophers th the and statesmen of Europe the narrow feasibility of a canal across across the Atlantic from isthmus separating the the Pacific ago the discoveries Fifty or more years California awoke the cries eries of gold in to their people of the United Stat States question Th The ine interest In the transit Panama railroad and the Clayton Clayton-Bul- canal treaty for an awakening that were the outcome of But as the years went on It began to be realized that the Clayton Clayton-Bulwer treaty ti-eaty intended as a help to the canal was really Its chief hindrance It has squatted like an incubus upon the Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua Nic Nic- aragua project from that day till now In 1869 a 13 step Was was' taken that could and would have relieved th whole sit sit- That was the absolute right to make use and control a canal across the Isthmus of Darien Darlen Shortsighted d statesmen moved perhaps by partisan n animosities prevented that thoat treaty from getting through the Sena SenateS Senate te It rt was a alost alost lost opportunity Europeans were quick to take advantage of our blunder France eagerly eagerly seized the franchise we had thoughtlessly thrown away and might have constructed ac canal a-canal nal but for forthe forthe forthe the gre greed p. p of her own officials and speculators At last daylight breaks in upon the fog that has so long enveloped the question France has discovered that she cannot build the canal England advantages under un Un- has discovered that th-at her der dec the Bulwer Clayton treaty were illusory A rational and nd sensible treaty between the United States and Great Britain has been made mad that even the most suspicious of Senators could hardly find a flaw in The unanimous report of ot the Senate committee and the vote by which the new neV Hay- Hay Pa nc fote treaty was adopted adopted are full of promise for the future Th The opponents opponents of the treaty had of of course to find arguments for their I contention But they seem to have hit upon a and d to reiterate only Inconclusive inconclusive Incon incon- elusive and puerile ones Stress was laid upon the point that the treaty while giving us absolute control over the canal does not in specific words say say ay that we may use use fortifications for for it No iro and It does not specifically say that we may use armored vesse vessels vesse's s sor or or rapid fire guns guns but but we probably should If necessary If we construct a canal and control and govern It who Is going to take it away from us A canal belonging to the United States like a fort an island or a coast belonging to the United States can and arid wl will be protected by all the re resources resources resources re- re sources In our power from the Monroe doctrine down to Maxim guns But who is there to tobe be afraid of Not Spain nor France nor Germany nor China nor Japan All the nations of the earth will have a 13 co common mon Interest Interest In In keepIng keepIng keeping keep- keep Ing the canal open for the benefit of their own own wn ships in peace and ana andar war ar arN N Now w as t to the choice hoice of routes There Ther are arguments for each But there Isone is isone isone one consideration that applies to both To let either of the canal routes pass again under European control Is to abandon our Monroe doctrine That doctrine forbids the establishment of any new new colonial dependencies on this Continent by any n pC power A canal would mean ean not only a colony but a Go chain of colonies That co could ld not be acquiesced in It m may y sound like a visionary forecast fore tore cast but It is by no means impossible that both canals the Nicaragua and the Panama may may ultimately be constructed if the growth of the worlds world's commerce and we wealth shall prove rove It needful But let us us s never forget that every route ought to remain American The United States must have the ultimate word to say of any canal whether we utilize one route toute or both or neither F. F. F W. W Seward In Leslie's Weekly |