Show MR TAFT DECIDES T UPON LOCK CANAL 1 f f ENGINEERS ARE fOR TUE PLAN Next Presidents President's Staff of Experts Experts Experts Ex- Ex Survey the Gatun Dam Damand Damand Damand and the Present Plans Will Wil WillBe WillBe Be Recommended by Them WHOLE GATUN SYSTEM TO BE INVESTIGATED Adv Advocates cates of Sea Level LeveI Canal Will Find Their Arguments Wholly In the Re Report Report Report Re- Re port of the Engineers TAFT ATTENDING CHURCH By William Tilliam Hoster Special l Correspondent of Th The The i Rep Republican With the I Taft Ta t Party j Panama Jan 31 A A lock i I i canal will be built across the j Isthmus of Panama This This' preliminary Decision decision was vas I Reached as a ar result r sult ut of a superficial su su- suI I 1 ial survey of the G Gahm Gatin dam made t today ay by by th the en- en I gine rs accompanying I elect dent W. W H. H Taft It can j be said on the b best pf rity r- r ity that the gI tS approve ap ap approve prove every every- detail 0 JI th 1 plan pan for h ai Q l sy Bi J lv i- i iu u J f fP- fP mor pre c t fo safety safey have be been u taken taku by l in charge chare of th the canal anal digging digging dig ging than are Absolutely tely necessary 01 f Th The party of ot engineers was WiS out all of today unaccompanied by Mr Taft lart and went wert over th the whole ground of ot the Gatun G tun They were enthusiastic en en- in the tho exclamations of ap up- Thc They examined particularly tho tio place where the tile alleged recent slide occurred and t they tiey ey sa say It was unimportant They also examined the foundations of ot the locks found tho tho soil eoll good and believe thero Is Is is' absolutely absolutely no danger of ot accident at an any timo In tho the future I IThe The Tho engineers returned this evening I Ito to Culebra for th the purpose o of summing up the result of or tho the days day's They refuse to talk for publications publications pub pub- and Mr Taft Tart will vill say noth noth- ing Tho The Republican correspondent learns however on the best of ot authority author author- It ity that the engineers are virtually convinced that there are no obstacles In the tho way of oC the tho Gatun dam as It Is la proposed to build It It and that they will recommend that the canal be built according to the present plans investigate Cut Entire Ire Work uric Tomorrow the engineers will make maka makeIn In detail an Investigation of ot the en entire entire entire en- en tire work that has hns been accomplished on the tho th canal and pass judgment upon that thal which Is contemplated Mr lr Taft will accompany them throughout the entire work worle for tor the next six days das turning out at 7 o'clock every mornIng morninG morning morn- morn Ing for or the start Since tInce the purchase by this tills country of ot tIe the Panama canal property the controversy contro over a lock or sea level canal h has been wa waged ed unceasingly i and the present visit of ot Mr Taft Tart was as finally final fInal- 11 ly 19 to determine whether the work should be pushed forward under the plans for tor a lock canal decided upon by Ly the commission and by bytho bytho tho law appropriating money for the tha construction of the canal or whether the te lock canal was no not feasible and the pre present ent plans should be abandoned and the work changed chanced to build a a. sea sea- level canal The question has been quickly sette settled set set- tIed t e by the engineers rs Appointed as a commission to accompany Mr Ir Taft Tart and to r report port to the President President- They have o failed tailed t U find rind the tho natural obstacles which the advocates S of ot the level sea canal claimed were In the way of the tile lock canal and they have found no I Ir r reason ason to place the cost of of the construction con con- of or a Il lock locle canal at the tile ex- ex I on oo Puce Page Eight MR TAFT DECIDES DECIDE'S ON LOCK CANAL CANALS S Continued from PI Page P. C One figure mentioned by hy some somo critics of ot the plans under which the work ia Is being belne done In Iii round figures the cost of the lock 0 1 canal was was originally placed at atS S The engineers may find Und that this estimate was too low Iowan on ac account account nc- nc count of unforeseen difficulties which have ha been encountered but the they do donot donot donot not believe that It will reach a n. much greater sum or will win in any wise ap ap- ap I the figure of set b by i some who claim that tho the cost will will- reach veach this stupendous sum If It the tho pres- pres plans arc are persisted In S Hal Point in ia The vital points In the tho construction of or the lock locle canal are arc the tha Laboca and Gatun dams Both have ha been criticized as Impractical engineering propositions Tho The inspection of tho the dam tOda today with ith tho result that It Is declared quite feasible has sc set aside one of tho greatest objections and It Is believed believed be be- that the engineers will find the dam oven moro more feasible than tian the Gatun dam darn In tact It Is understood under under- stood that tho the present c mal canal plans will be approved throughout by tho the en engineers engineers eu- eu In their report Mr r. r and Mrs Taft attended tho the Episcopal Epis Epis- copal church hero here today and later the President-elect President r received the British minister nI 2 n later |