Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-03

y very Important and yet, in many re-
spects a very insignificant strip of land,
is the Isthmus of Panama. With all its
political prominence at the present time,
it is probably as little known. in its geo
graphical and notional features, as any
foreign territory of the same extent. And
yet, aside from its prominence as the site
of the great inter-oceanic canal it is a very
interesting little State.
The Isthmus of Panama belongs to the
Colombian confederation and is political
ly known as the State of Panama. The
isthmus, between Panama and Colon, is
forty-seven miles wide, and it extends
northward to the southern boundary line
of Costa Rica. 1t has population
amounting in all to about 10000 persons
though this estimate probably, does not
| include the tribes of uncivilized Indians
which wander through its still untouched
primeval forests. y very small portion of
/ the Isthmus has been brought under cul-
tivation and subdued to the purposes OF
/ civilization.
The population of the State of Panama
is, of course, mostly foreign, and is COM
posed of Americans, English, French,
Spanish, and Jamaica negroes. The
French and Spanish predominant, and the
French and Spanish languages are most
generally spoken. Not many years ago our
own coUntrymen We're in the ascendancy,
and the English and Spanish languages
We're in about equal use The Fourth
of July used to be observed as Il national
holiday on the IsthmuS, and all the Eng
lish- speaking residents, together with the
Jamaica negroes, joined in celebrating IT,
But the American influence in the lsthmus
has been waning for years, and now the
French and Spanish predominate and the
fohrtccuth of July instead of the fourth,
has become the national fete day.
This change has, undoubtedly, been
brought about by the change of owner
ship of the Panama railroad, the enter
prise which has made the IsthmuS what it
now is. Two years ago the Panama rail
road was owned by an American company,
and was managed with regard to Ameri-
can interests. But the road has now pass
ed into the possession OF the French Canal
company, and is now conducted entirely
in the interest of France. Should war oc-
cur between the United States and France,
the employees of the French Canal COM
pany, as stated in some of the Panama
armed force for the control of the
Isthmus. In fact, the growth of the
French interests and powers in this State,
within the past ak or eight years, has
been something extraordinary, and looks
decidedly, from an American point of
view, like put up job" Take the prin-
cipal settlements, and you will find them
being improved, and controlled almost en-
tirely by the French. The city of Colon
has been transformed by them from a
pestilential assemblage of huts to clean
and healthy town, with raised streets and
handsome public buildings. The French
are also founding new settlements in all
parts of the Isthmus, and are putting mil
lions of dollars into public improvements
In addition to all this, according to
current rumor, France has been negutiat-
ing with the Colombian Cuntederacy for
the purchase of the lsthmus 1t Is said
that France is willing to pay s2o,OOO,OO,
for it: which is little enough when the
immense advantage of the sole control of
the Panama canal is taken into consdera-
f. ton. Our statesmen will do well to take
e. such facts as these into consideration.
The United States cannot afford to be
crowded out of the lsthmus altogether,
and il need not be.