Abstract
Time shapes the destinies of men while the destinies of nations rise and fall in the tides of diplomacy. Oftentimes to avoid shipwreck in tempestuous undulations, the ship of state drops anchor in less resistant waters, sometimes to lose the hunted treasure at the end of the voyage. |Long ago, after Columbus discovered these great Americas, there was jealousy, strife, and race for possession of the lands in the Western Hemisphere, and that spirit of aggression is recorded on the pages of history since colonization and trade solicited the monetary interests of all countries. |Approximately one hundred years ago, all the larger European nations as well as the United States became intensely interested in the construction of an isthmian canal in this hemisphere. However, before this dream was realized, there was to be much controversy, rivalry, and diplomatic intriguing.