This time the treaty proved satisfactory and was accepted by the Senate.

Thus one more source of trouble was done away with, and the first obstacle in the way of the canal was removed.
The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was, however, only a bit of the tangled jungle which must be cleared before the first American shovel could begin its work.

For over twenty years a contest had been waged between experts in the United States as to the relative merits of the Panama and the Nicaragua routes.

The latter was the more popular, perhaps because it seemed at one time that Panama was preempted by De Lesseps' French company.

This contest as to the better route led to the passage of a law, in 1902, which authorized the President to acquire the rights and property needed to construct a canal by the Panama route, on condition that he could make satisfactory arrangements "within a reasonable time and upon reasonable terms." Otherwise, Nicaragua was to be chosen.
Theodore Roosevelt was now President and, though at one time not favoring Panama, he decided that there the canal should be constructed and with his accustomed vigor set himself to the task.
The first difficulty presented by this route was the prior right which the French company still retained, although it had little, if any, hope of carrying on the construction itself.