HISTORY OF THE PANAMA CANAL 



ated, and he decreed that no canal should be con- 

 structed. This action was, however, probably due 

 to the fear of the maritime strength of England. 

 Phillip III of Spain again caused surveys to be made 

 for a canal. In 1701 William Paterson of Scotland, 

 in his book on Central America, speaks of the great 

 benefits to be derived from the building of it. 



Alexander von Humboldt, who spent several years 

 in Central America in the beginning of the nine- 

 teenth century, spoke of the feasibility and desira- 

 bility of constructing an artificial waterway between 

 the two oceans. The German poet Goethe, alluding 

 to the canal at Panama, is reported to have said: 

 "So much, however, is certain, that if they succeeded 

 in cutting such a canal that ships of any burden and 

 size can be navigated through it from the Mexican 

 Gulf to the Pacific Ocean, innumerable benefits will 

 result to the whole human race, civilized and un- 

 civilized. But I should wonder if the United States 

 were to let an opportunity escape of getting such a 

 work into their own hands." He was, indeed, a 

 prophet! When the Central and South American 

 republics came into existence, the construction of 

 the canal claimed their immediate attention, and 

 was the cause of considerable diplomatic activity. 



In 1850 the much discussed Clayton-Bulwer treaty 

 was ratified. It provided that neither England nor 

 the United States should exercise exclusive control 

 over any inter-ocean canal. The wrangling over 

 the interpretation of its provisions commenced be- 

 fore the ink was dry upon its signatures. Secretary 

 Elaine's comment upon it in 1881 is worthy of repe- 

 tition. He says: "It was misunderstandingly en- 

 tered into, imperfectly comprehended, contradicto- 

 rily interpreted, and mutually vexatious." The treaty 

 was finally abrogated in 1901, but only after strenu- 

 ous efforts upon the part of the United States, as 

 England was naturally not disposed to give up the 

 advantages her diplomacy had given her. 



Meanwhile Ferdinand de Lesseps, inspired by his 

 success at Suez, where he had completed the canal 

 in 1869, turned his attention to the Isthmus of Pan- 

 ama. A French company was formed in 1876, and 

 three years later a congress was called together at 

 Paris to consider all questions concerning the build- 

 ing of the American canal. The Panama route was 

 decided upon and the Universal Interoceanic Canal 

 Company was organized. The following year De 

 Lesseps reported to the company that the plans for 

 a tide-level canal were perfected, that its cost would 

 be $132,000,000, and that it was proposed that its 

 neutrality should be guaranteed by Europe. 



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