174 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



" 3. The Government of Colombia, in which lies the Pan- 

 ama Canal, has granted an exclusive concession, which still 

 has many years to run. It is not free to grant the necessary 

 rights to the United States, except upon condition that an 

 agreement be reached with the New Panama Canal Com- 

 pany. The commission believes that such agreement is 

 impracticable. So far as can be ascertained, the company is 

 not willing to sell its franchise, but it will allow the United 

 States to become the owner of part of its stock. The com- 

 mission considers such an arrangement inadmissible. 



" The Governments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, on the 

 other hand, are untrammelled by concessions and are free to 

 grant to the United States such privileges as may be mutu- 

 ally agreed upon." 



And the report in conclusion says : 



" In view of all the facts, and particularly in view of all the 

 difficulties of obtaining the necessary rights, privileges, and 

 franchises on the Panama route, and assuming that Nicara- 

 gua and Costa Rica recognize the value of the canal to them- 

 selves, and are prepared to grant concessions on terms which 

 are reasonable and acceptable to the United States, the com- 

 mission is of the opinion that l the most practicable and feas- 

 ible route for ' an isthmian canal to be ' under the control, 

 management, and ownership of the United States' is that 

 known as the Nicaragua route." 



The report, being so thoroughly in accord with the estab- 

 lished American preference for the Nicaragua route, gave 

 great satisfaction. The character and ability of the com- 

 missioners and the thoroughness of their investigations have 

 no doubt settled for all time the choice of routes. The field 

 is clear in Nicaragua, the concessionary companies have been 

 disposed of, and, with abundant means in the Treasury and 

 popular favor to hasten the consummation of the project, 

 there remains but one obstacle to postpone or defeat the 

 undertaking. That obstacle is the Clayton-Bulwer treaty. 



Soon after the convening of Congress in December 1900, 



