By 1899 the Americans were taking the lead: the Isthmian Canal Commission told Congress that a route through Nicaragua, not Panama, was best for ships Pacific-bound.

ECONOMIST: A man, a plan, a canal—Panama? | The

The agency responsible for building the canal and administering the Canal Zone, the Isthmian Canal Commission (ICC), had no alternative but to provide them with such American necessities as iceboxes and porcelain baths as well as such perks as home leave and houses with wide verandas.

ECONOMIST: American canal building