Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-25
THE INTER.OCEANIC CANALS.
Majority Report of tho Committee
on Foreign Relations.
EDMuNos' TIMELY RESOLUTION.
Foreign Connection with the Project
Menace TO the Welfare of the
Three American Re-
publics.



WASHINGTON, Feb, Representative
McCreary, of Kentucky on behalf of ma
jonty of the members of the committee on
foreign affairs, has prepared report rccom-
mending the adoption Of the Edmunds Pan
anna canal resolution. The report says;
"Thc resolution comes to the house after
being carefully considered and almost unani-
mously adopted by the senate. 1t reafiirms a
public policy that is of both national and in
ternatlonal Importance, n public policy that
has been so intimately interviewer with the
treaties and teachings, doctrines and necessi-
ties Of the American people that it seems to
have originated IN the very earliest day of
our republic. Tho joint resolution under
consideration is in accordance with the
declarations made by Monroe, applied TO ex-
istlng conditions and developments OF
evcntsh
After eulogi2ng the Monroe doctrine the
report says that the doctrine contains no
limitations and was not confined to condi-
tons existing mt the time it was announced.
Quotations are made from the declarations
of some of our presidents and many of our
leading statesmen to show that they have
taken take. even a stronger position than
that maintained by the resou.
tion under consideration, and objected
not only to European colonization
or the extension of European political sys-
TENS on the American continent, but to any
mcnts "A new foothOld in America
The joint resolution under consideration
says that the report simply declares that the
government of the United States will look
with serious concern and disapproval upon
any connection of any European government
with the construction or control of either
the Panama canal or Nicaragua canal, and
and will regard such connection or control
as injurious TO the rights and interests of the
United States, and as a menace to their
welfare, and asks il anyone can deny the
truth of these propositions. History shows
thnt wherever governments put their money
they soon followed with their power, and
that the aim of the great nations of Europe
has been TO take possession of salient points
and narrow straits of the world for the con
troll of commerce and for aid in time of war.
what would be the result if England
or France, or either of the great
powers of Europe should construct, or by en-
dofsing bonds, control such an important
transit as ship canal across the lsthmus of
Daren. or ship canal across Central Amer
lea! If any European government should
construct assist in the construction of u
great public Improvement i'll another country,
the assertion of that power by that govern
ment can be followed by the right
of defending that Improvement.
Columbia and Nicaragua are both weak re-
publics, and they would soon be forced to
yield, either by treaty arrangements or con-
cessions, to the governmental authority pro.
noting the enterprise A conflict of inter-
ests with either would certainly occur, and
the weak power would succumb to the great
power, and the ultimate result would be
European domination in Panama, Nicaragua
and perhaps an extension of DOM
ination to the other republics.
If this is allowed abandon
the principle to which we have ciung for
seventy years, and surrender sacred princi.
pies which our fathers and forefathers main
tanned so successfully and 80 patriotically.
The present, the report declares, is an op-
perfume and important time to announce an
American policy with regard 10 the Panama
canal. De Lesseps has failed in his scheme,
work has stopped, and the government Of
France has been asked to construct or con-
troll IN some way the construction of the
canal. Its control by European government
cannot but be regarded as injurious to the
rights and interests of the United States,
and as menace to our welfare. Moreover.
our treaty obligations and far-reaching and
binding guarantees made by the United
States with the republics through which the
inter-oceanic canals are TO be con-
structed, makes 1t of paramount Importance
TO the people of the United States that any
attempt on the part of European govern
ments to engage in the construction or con-
trol of these canals should be watched with
the greatest vigilance and looked upon
with serious concern and disapproval.
The time has come for our
government to define its position and take u
stand in behalf of our sister republics of the
western hemisphere The day of isolation
OF the three Americas has passed, and the
day Of fraternity and friendship, improved
commerce, and enlarged national freedom
has come. Each year brings the United
States and the republics south of us in closer
communication, and the day is not far dis
tant when the three Americas will be
by railroads and bound
together in common hopes and
Tho adoption of tins resolu-
tion will help to preserve the autonomy and
advance the best interests of our sister re-
publics south of u.s. The needs of our peo.
pie, the dignity Of our government, and the
of our supremacy in the west
crn hemisphere depend on it.