New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18
THE CANAL TREATY IN DANGER
HOSTILITY TO THE HAY-PAUNCEFoTE CoNVEN-
TON AND ITS CAUSES.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: 1 do not know whether your readers, the
pubIc-whether industry and commercially re-
aize present attitude of the Senate toward the
Canal Treaty and the possible effects or thls atti-
tude in the future. When the treaty was first
published Il generally understood. and not de-
MED. that it was favored by majority OF the
Committee Foreign Relations and by the requi-
site two-thirds of the whole Senate. 1t was uni
versally recognized In official we'll as In other
circles that there practically no opposition 10
such a judcious treaty.
The leaders of the party the supporters or the
treaty the Administration. whoever may be re-
sponsible for It, failed with incredible faulty, TO
take advantage of these favorable and suspicious
circumstances. They decided that whatever little
opposition there should have time to evapo-
rate The evaporation which has taken place
has been of somewhat different nature from that
desired.
Those who opposed the treaty have taken heart,
have had time to create all through the country
"a clamorous formidabe-it IS to be feared also a
successful-hostty to singularly fair and benef-
cent international compact And thereupon the
subcommittee and the Committee on Foreign Re
lations In obedience to the most turbulent ele-
ments of their party and in politics, have, like
demagogues abandoned their convictions, have
repudiated treaty framed with the most con-
scientious by their Administration and
have adopted amendment practically multiplying,
stultfying, the whole treaty! A fragrant in
stance Of political timidity and demagogism can
scarcely be recalled.
Let us hope that the President will have the po-
ltical courage kill the treaty If the amendment
is retained, support and defend the work of his
own Secretary Of State, done with his own knowl-
edge and approval Otherwise the condemnation
implied woulu Justify such honorable
Mr.. Hay in offering mis- resignation. Moreover.
friction at this moment between the nations is
sinsuarly unfortunate, deporable, possibly danger
In the first place. the of a Presi-
Dental election. II may suit the convenience of
few politicians to leave unsettled such question
for the purposes of campaign, but how will busi-
ness Industry. commerce and their allied interests
feel on the subject?
Then, too there other circumstances-One may
almost say compiled tions-which add the deli
cacy of the situation. There Is considerable SYM
pathy with the Beers, and hence hostility Eng
land, in the United States at present, and the re-
mediation or good offices will probably aggravate
these feelings. And there IS VeXatiOuS dispute
with Canada still unsettled.
do not pretend to say that there is will be
Eelan question. But there some disquietng
facts. We must. moreover, remember that the
rreconciable element of the Irish Nationalist is
sun in existence here, quiescent until lately but
now eagerly watching its opportunity.
Possibly II is not yet too late for the President
to succeed In persuadlng the Senate to reject the
amendment, but this seems too much to expect If
the matter is carried to its extreme and dangerous
limit, and the amended treaty signed by the Presi-
dent, then let hesitate frankly to admit one
evident factthat only the tact and self-restraint
of the British Government would prevent serious
friction between the two nations. Still remember
Ing the good will of some public men in this coun-
try, and the weakness of others, she may consent
TO treaty practically new. This. however now ap-
pears to be improbable. CARROLL BRYCE
New-York, March a. 1900.