ons and of the formation of the soil, etc.

All engineers who have investigated the project unite in believing it
thoroughly practical and not subject to any extraordinary difficulties.

It was at first planned that the United States Government should build
and control this canal, but a bill for this purpose was vetoed by
President Cleveland on account of the conditions named by the Government
of Nicaragua.

In 1889 a private company was formed to undertake the work, but this
company has since failed. It is now hoped that bills can be passed and
financial arrangements made which will enable this company to finish the
work and the United States to control the canal. The estimated cost of
this canal is $150,000,000, and, as General Tracy said in his speech,
the saving, etc., will more than compensate the Government for the
outlay.

The importance of having this waterway joining the two great oceans has
long been recognized and is easily seen. The distance from New York to
San Francisco, when vessels have to go all the way around South America,
is about fourteen thousand eight hundred miles. If they could pass
through a canal at the Isthmus it would be reduced to under five
thousand, or about one-third of the distance. Think of the saving in
time and money that this would mean!

The great advantages of such a plan are evident in a moment.

We have referred to the speech of General Tracy, who, you will remember,
was, during President Harrison's administration, Secretary of the Navy.
In that speech he stated that, were this canal completed, we would need
to have but one navy where now we practically must have two,--one to
guard the Atlantic coast and one the Pacific coast.

If the canal were open, vessels of our navy could be sent from one coast
to the other in a very short time.

Moreover, the canal would make trade with the East--China, Japan,
etc.--much more direct than now, and, because the voyage would be easier
and quicker, greatly increase that trade.

It has been said that the nation that controls such a canal will hold
the "key to the Pacific," and with the considerations of our shipping
interests, and the desirability of having our war-ships easily
transferable from one coast to the other, and our great expanse of
country, it would seem that the United States should control it.

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