Answer: Political end economical reasons. President Roosevelt’s forceful will was evident in his conduct of foreign affairs. And the economical importance of the narrow isthmus of Panama for the American production.
Explanation:
After the War of 1898, the United States became more deeply involved in the Caribbean. The narrow isthmus of Panama had first become a major concern of Americans in the late 1840s when it became an important overland route to the California goldfields. Two treaties dating from that period threatened years later as obstacles to the construction of a canal. The Bidlack Treaty (1846) with Colombia and the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850). In return for obtaining a canal zone 6 miles wide, the United States agreed to pay $10 million in cash and a rental fee of $250,000 a year. The U.S. Senate ratified the Hay-Herrán Treaty in 1903, but the Colombian senate held out for $25 million in cash. Theodore Roosevelt, by then president, flew into a rage. Meanwhile the Panamanians revolted against Colombian rule. Colombian troops, who could not infiltrate the overland jungle, found U.S. ships obstructing the sea-lanes. On November 13, the Roosevelt administration admitted its first ambassador from Panama, who happened to be Philippe Bunau-Varilla; he eagerly signed a treaty that extended the Canal Zone from 6 to 10 miles in width. The strategic canal opened on August 15, 1914, two weeks after the outbreak of World War I in Europe.
Based on exams I have taken before, I believe the answer would be "The company that originally constructing the canal could not afford to finish the project." I hope this helps!!
