A BILL AUTHORIZING NEGOTIATIONS AND PROVIDING FOR AND S. 2229 A BILL AUTHORIZING AND PROVIDING FOR THE CON- MAY 16, 1939 Printed for the use of the Committee on Interoceanic Canals CONTENTS Page Statement of Hon. Kenneth McKellar, Senator from Tennessee- Excerpt from address before the Senate by the President of Nicaragua- pt., ADDITIONAL INTEROCEANIC CANAL FACILITIES TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1939 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON INTEROCEANIC CANALS, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, in the committee room, (Capitol) at 10:30 a. m., Senator Bennett Champ Clark, presiding. Present: Senators Clark (chairman), Hayden, Pepper, Ellender, Downey, Stewart, Bridges, and Lodge. The committee had under consideration S. 127, providing for the construction, maintenance, and operation of an interoceanic canal over Nicaraguan territory; and S. 2229, providing for the construction of additional facilities and increasing the capacity of the Panama Canal. (Said S. 127 and S. 2229, respectively, are here printed in full, as follows:) [S. 127, 76th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL Authorizing negotiations and providing for the construction, maintenance. and operation of an interoceanic canal over Nicaraguan territory, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Government of Nicaragua having by treaty with the Government of the United States signed at Washington on August 5, 1914, and duly ratified as required by the laws of both of said Governments and proclaimed June 24, 1916, granted in perpetuity to the Government of the United States, forever free from taxation, or other public charge the exclusive proprietary rights necessary and convenient for the construction, operation, and maintenance of an interoceanic canal, by way of the San Juan River and the great lake of Nicaragua, or by way of any route over Nicaraguan territory, the details of the terms upon which such canal shall be constructed, operated, and maintained to be agreed to by the two Governments whenever the Government of the United States shall notify the Government of Nicaragua of its desire or intention to construct such canal, the President of the United States is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to notify the Government of Nicaragua of its desire and intention to construct such canal and to agree upon the details of the terms under which such canal shall be constructed, operated, and maintained. SEC. 2. The Senate of the United States having, in its ratification of the treaty with Nicaragua, as aforesaid, inserted the words: "It is declared by the Senate that in advising and consenting to the ratification of the said convention as amended such advice and consent are given with the understanding, to be expressed as a part of the instrument of ratification, that nothing in said convention is intended to affect any existing right of any of the said named States," namely, Costa Rica, Salvador, and Honduras, the President is authorized and directed to enter into negotiations with said States and determine whether they, or any of them, have any interest in such proposed canal. SEC. 3. In any agreement made with the Republics of Nicaragua or Costa Rica the President is hereby authorized to guarantee to said Republic or Republics the use of said canal and harbors, upon such terms as may be agreed upon, for 1 |