The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-10
Right and Wrong
Of Canal Question
From the Philadelphia Press.

of the Hay-Pauncefote canal treaty iinds
itself plunged. No middle ground exists
between annexation. which Is spoliation.
and naturalization. which extends law
over the canal One or She other Is in |
evitable. Either the United states must
place the canal and its contiguous terri- |
tory under its own direct sovereignty, or
II must place this great waterway on the
same basis and under II protection simi-
lar to that under which the Suez canal
rests and has rested for twelve years.
The seizure during Il period of profound
peace of the territory of a friendly Amer
lean state, whose independence we have
In the past more than once recognized
and accepted in special treaties. no
American would urge or could defend.
The mere suggestion is enough to re-
call all objectors to the canal treaty to
the plain law and right of the situation.
The route of the Nicaragua canal Is not
on American soil. 1t Is on Nicaraguan
soil. By treaty, Nicaragua has agreed
with Great Britain, Spain. Italy and Fell
gium that through any canal there built
the commerce of these nations and their
ships of war shall have an equal right
with other nations. To this policy the
United States has not been able to OBJ
ject, because. beginning with secretary
Henry Clays instructions in May, 1926.
to our ministers, we have constantly held
that, If canal across the is,hmus be
opened, 80 as to admit the passage Of
sea vessels from ocean to ocean, the
benefit of 1t ought not to be exclusively
appropriated to any one nation but
should be extended to all parts of the
globe. upon the payment of Just COM
pcnsation or reasonable tolls Tho open
navigable character of al! intcroccan'c
waterways We have insisted unon from
the first. We fought the North African
pirates for the freedom If the Straits
of Gibraltar. We forced Denmark to
surrender her claim for sound dues at the
entrance to the Baltic. We have applied
the principle or joined IN applying 1t to
rivers like the Amazon and the Congo
We have accepted the principle in cur
own case In the Yukon. whose na' iGa-
ton IL free.
The interocearic canal wherever built.
and the same principle applies to the
Panama route as to Nicaragua though
not to the same extent imbedded in
treaties. must. according ~ the princi-
pies we have ourselves hcid, urged and
acted on for a century, be n free water
way in peace and il war. This is not
only our right but equailv the right of
every South American state. 1t Is u
right on which Mexico would have a
right JEALOUSY to insist. All these Amcri-
can powers. for which We have officially
tional Peace congress at The Ilague-to
which the South American powers were
rot asked to send delegates, the United
States standing for thcm-havc n right
to the declaration, the practice and the
| enforcement of the freedom of the inter-
! oceanic canal whose construction will
! divide the land passage and open the
| waterways between Moth and South
| America.
@
! American and European countries Is
| basal. 1t II our uhbroken national pol
| icy. 1t is accepted in International law.
! 1t Is right. 1t is polite. The United
! States can maintain its asccndancy IN
! the Western world and be accepted as
| its rightful defender by the world of
! Europe only If the United States respects
| the rights of the lesser and weaker pow
! ors which make up the American system,
| protected by the Monroe doctrine. Any
! sign that the United States proposes to
! play the part of the bully, to refuse the
! pain rights of int, rna tional law and to
! depart from our own settled policy with
| reference to free wate rways. converts our
! protection into tyranny and win link the
| Monroe doctrine with the unscrunu,o aus
| disregard of International RIGHTS. Nor
| has the United States ever taken anv
other course For three Quarters Of a
4
| free canal. To assert now til roht to
close the canal at will and by force is
| to arouse the just suspicion of every
| American power md pave the way for
| their sympathy with an European pro-
test against such an act of aggres SION
! Since the canal is tn be free and should
| he free, the best course Is to secure this
| it's freedom and requiring of Europe a
pledge never to interfere.
IL
! The United States digs the canal, for
I Witich II has a various times had author
ity from the powers owning the routes.
| The United States owns the canal IL
works the canal. II polices the canal.
| 1t protects the canal. At any moment
! II has full right to place on it any armed
force needed to protect its full freedom,
| to ourselves and all other nations. All
| Europe is solemGIy 10 agree 10 leave this
| task to the United States. What more
| could be asked or could he done? But
! the United States does not do this be-
! cause the canal Is on its own territory,
| because the canal is not. 1t does not
annex the strip needed for the canal
because it cannot, except as an act Of
spoliation and ought not as an act oi
wise policy. 1t takes the canal as q
trust. 1t assumes this serious RESPONSE
bility as the guardian of the Western
| HcmsDhere. 1t does Tor the nations %!