New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-21
HAY-PAUNCEFOTE TREATY
1T is ADVOCATED BY THE HON. FREn-
ERICK w. SEWARD.


To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: When Sindbad the Sailor had walked n,
for considerable distance. carrying on hi,
shoulders the "Old Man Of the Sea-" he chanesa
upon an opportunity to get rid of his grewsorns
load. He threw 1t Off Then marvellous thing
happened The creature sprang up. fastened
itself upon his neck again. and made him con-
tinue to walk. Verify" quoth sindbad to him
self. this is entangIng aIliance."
AS a Nation have been carrying such a
load on our shoulders for nearly half century
The name Of it Is the Clayton Bulwer Treaty
Made with the best intentions and desires 10
promote the interoceanic canal enterprise. il
proved in practice TO work just the contrary
way. II prohibited either Great Britain or the
United States from making the canal separately.
and the time never came when they could agree
to make it Jointly. The treaty had defeated It's
own purpose.
OF late years as the need Of the canal has
grown stronger. have talked OF ignoring that
treaty-Of considering it lapsed. at any rate
easy to abrogate. But still it has remained con-
tinually hampering us.
A few weeks ago. by the help OF Secretary Hay
and Sir Julian Pauncefote, we thought we had
thrown the thing off. But ominous
threats from Washington that their treaty is to
be rejected by the Senate or else amended 80
Hay-Pauncefote treaty is rejected. then the
Clayton Bulwer Treaty remains in force. In
other words. we are requested to take the "Old
Man OF the Sea" on our shoulders again. and
endure that "entangling alliance"
There are always men TO whom the obstacles
to any enterprise seem greater than the enter
prise itself Such men are now descanting upon
the immense difficulties and dangers OF an In
teroceanic canal made by American capital and
under American control The Hay-Pauncefote
treaty opens the way for such canal II IL
the only way the canal ought to be made. and
the only way it is ever likely to be made
So rapidly do the years roll by. and fast
do men and memories pass away, that it seems
to be forgotten that the experiment is not new
one and that we have already heard these OBJ
jections and faced these obstacles We have
had two routes Of travel and trade across Cen
trail America from ocean to ocean that were
opened by American capital, surveyed by Amer
lean engineers and controlled by American man.
ayers. Both served their purpose WELL during
their time Both proved profitable and safe
against foreign interference.
The idea of a waterway connecting the At
lantic and Pacific is as old as the days OF Her
nando Cortez. 1t never took practical shape
until the discoveries Of sold in California, fifty
years ago. started the rush of gold seekers across
and around the continent. Then an Isthmus
route was wanted, and wanted at once A canal
was proposed and universally approved. But IL
would take years to dig, and business could not
wait So the Nicaragua Transit route and the
Panama Railroad route were al once put in
operation They carried thousands OF pas
sengers and millions of freight and treasure.
until they were superseded by our transcont-
mental railroads. When they were first opened
we were told that they would excite the jeaI-
ousies Of Europe, would be seized by foreign
troops would be used to do US damage. No
such results followed All such fears proved Il
lusory. The Europeans were as glad to use
them as we were. The only nation have
been at war with was Spain. and the wild idea
of crossing the Isthmus to attack California
never entered the heads OK her commanders
Now told that the interoceanic canal
will not be safe unless fortify it at both ends
and in the middle, and that fleets and troops
will have TO be kept there to guard it. at enor-
nous expense and cost Of life.
But what stronger fertilization could be erect
ed than the one contemplated by the treaty it
self-the freedom of the canal to all nations
and their guarantee OF its neutrality? The
common consent OF civilized nations is the sole
foundation of our whole majestic fabric of inter
national law. and nothing in the world is so i'm
pregnable. When all nations agree that thing
shall stand. who can overthrow it?
YES. but that very neutrality" we are told,
leaves the canal open for hostile fleet 70 60
through it to attack Atlantic or Pacific
coasts" OF course it does. and the same Objec-
ton might be urged against the ocean itself.
which is also a neutral waterway But our
fleets can use it. too. What are they going to be
doing while the hostile fleet is coming across
three thousand miles Of sea? Our naval sta
tions at Key West and San Francisco to say
nothing of our new ones in the West Indies, are
considerably nearer than any European one
Turn back the page of history but two years
and read the story OF Admiral Camara at Suez-
That shows whether interoceanic canal can
or cannot be used TO advantage by a fleet hostile
to the United States. Let US not be scared by
our own shadow!
FREDERICK ". SEWARD.
Observation-Disclosures Feb. 10, 1900.