THE PROPOSED AMERICAN INTEROCEANIC CANAL 

 IN ITS COMMERCIAL ASPECTS 



By Joseph Nimmo, Jr, LL. D. 



The question as to the practicability of either the Nicaragua or 

 the Panama Canal project depends upon three classes of consid- 

 erations, viz., those relating to its engineering aspects, involving- 

 questions as to cost; those relating to its commercial possibilities, 

 and those relating to its military importance. 



The government of the United States has thus far confined its 

 inquiries almost exclusively to the engineering features of the 

 project. During the last four years three engineering commis- 

 sions have been appointed, viz., the " Ludlow Commission," 

 authorized by act of January 28, 1895; the ''Walker Commis- 

 sion," authorized by act of June 4, 1897, and a commission of 

 nine persons, authorized by act of March 3, 1899, and appointed 

 by the President June 9, 1899. Rear-Admiral Walker is also 

 chairman of this commission. There was appropriated by Con- 

 gress for the Ludlow Commission $26,176 ; for the commission of 

 1897 the sum of $300,000, and for the commission of 1899 the 

 sum of $1,000,000. So it appears that the total sum of $1,326,176 

 has been appropriated within four years for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining the engineering features and the cost of constructing an 

 American interoceanic canal, but up to the present time not one 

 cent has been appropriated by Congress for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining the probable commercial value of the project — i. e., the 

 amount of shipping which would pass through it. The pro-. 

 ponents of the Nicaragua Canal scheme have from the beginning 

 opposed any governmental investigation whatsoever as to the 

 practicability of their project. Such objections have been over- 

 ruled by Congress as to the engineering aspects of the enterprise, 

 I nit, singularly enough, have prevailed with respect to the com- 

 mercial, the economic, and the military aspects 6f the scheme. 

 The advocates of the canal declare that the commercial necessity 

 for its construction is so clear that it needs no investigation. 

 That is monstrous. It goes in the face of common sense and of 

 every dictate of prudence. Section 231 of the Revised Statutes 

 of the United States provides that " there shall be prepared and 



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