The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-15
SEATTLE. SATURDAY, DEC. rs



The so-called Davis amendment to the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty has been adopted
by the United States senate by the very
heavy majority of 65 TO rs. This repre-
serfts the strong sentiment which pre-
walls throughout the country against en-
tering into an engagement with Great
Britain or any other country that should
prevent the United States from taking
such steps as II might deem necessary
for the protection OF great enterprise.
carried to completion under Its authority
and with It's own resources We think
that II may be taken as conclusive evil
dence that no arrangement for COM
pletely neutral canal will ever be APPROX
ed by the senate.
II IL possible that this action carries
with X the abandonment of the Hay
Pauncefoie treaty altogether. While
Great Britain has not indicated what she
would do In the event of such a modi-
fieation OF Its terms. as 1t would have
been manifestly improper for her to do.
Il II pretty well understood that she re-
CARDS neutrality as a vital condition; that
this was the main provision by which
she was induced to waive what rights
she may possess under the Clayton Bull
wer agreement. In addition to that. the
probability now Is that the treaty win
be so changed before II gets out of the
senate that Its author win not recognize
It. Other amendments are projected, some
OF them going much further than the
Davis section, and providing not merely
for the policing but for the fertilization
of the canal The authors OF these will
now push them vigorously. while the
friends OF the treaty as framed. belev-
Ing that II has been so modified already
as to render its fate doubtful. will not
offer a stin resistance.
The country Is thus left where It was
before; and Il behooves every man with
fine sense Of national honor and ohlfga-
tlon 10 consider exactly what our posi-
ton is. The conclusion must be that We
have no more right to proceed with canal
construction than We have to violate our
plighted faith in any other direction
There are lot of "hurrah- boys." In con-
gress and ont OF e, who shout. ''lot US
go ahead and build the canal anyway.
and talk about treaties afterward This
Is akin to the without the aid or con-
sent OF any other nation on earth" bust
ness and u Is equally regardless af the
nations honor as the admitted facts es-
fahlish.
In 1850 the United states and Great
britain ratified formally what Is known
as the clayton Bulser treaty. The srst
article OF THIS provides that "the gov
errmen,s OF the United States aud Grea,
Britain hereby declare tina, neither the
one nor the other will ever obtain or
maintain for itself any exclusive control
over The ssid ship-canel" referring "a
The enterprise mentioned IN the nreliml-
NARY F'fiiNN " ANf AttAtN IN AAf@t terms
"Any means ~ communication by ship
canal which may he constructed between
che Atlantic and psciac oceans by the
way ~ tire river San Juan De Nicaragua
and either or both Of the lskes Of Nicar~
aqua or Manasua. % any port OF place
on the Faciac ocean" Later In the
treaty II ~ stipulated thar the contract.
INK parties guarantee the neutrality
thereof. 50 that the said canal shall for
ever be open and free" and that they
VIII invite every state with which both
CT either have friendly intercourse to
enter into s,ipula,ions With them similar
60 these which they have entered lntc
with each ether"
This Is an International contract which
has never been ahrogstei or repealed. Il
Is conttndtd hy many persons. amonE
them some well versed In intsrnationa
law, tina, Great Britain has In the pas