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Show THE PRESIDENT iND THE CANAL. The Outlook, speaking of President Roosevelt's visit to Panama, says : Mr. Boosevelt has, at least, once before been outside the jurisdiction of the United States, when he has been on a warship war-ship on the high seas, beyond the three-mile limit. But an American war -vessel is constructively American territory, and the cases are not strictly parallel. In thus disregarding disregard-ing a ; long-established precedent, President ' Boosevelt has again shown his belief that the practical accomplishment of results is more important than . blind, adherence to customs and traditions. T . Our own belief .is that the 'President was not much" actuated by. any' of these .sentiments, but that his desire to butt in has made him impatient to get to Panama ever since the canal strip wasbought, to see for. himself how things were going on and to be able to judge, when any new emergency arises, better bet-ter what to do than he would be able to had he never been on the isthmus. We think it would be a good plan for all. the Congresi'to' go down there, and we think if they were all to go lhat they would realize that while very few things, are impossible in these days of modern engineering and plenty of . money, that all the' same the Isthmus of Manama js.a tough old formation to build a canal through. We believe even with the money,' the energy and the tenacity of the American people that it would have been an impossible im-possible undertaking had not the mosquito, the bite of which.produces Panama fever, been discovered. That mosquito was the one to kill 6000 laborers in the building of the first twenty miles of the Panama railroad out of Aspinwall. . If they keep the mosquito down, provide good sanitary quarters for the workers and keep pegging away they will complete the canal. All the same we do not believe it is the best place for 'the canal, and we believe that it will be very doubtful for many years after its completion about its bringing fair interest on the money, and in that shelving, sliding country, where the formation forma-tion stands on end, the repairs for 6even or eight years after the completion of the canal will cost one-half one-half as much as the building of it. |