The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-22
PAN mama INAl
CORR P0 ! |
Sent tc Senate BY tie President il
Response 10 lnquiry. a
COVERS QUITE A WIDE PERIOD E
Tho Completion OF tho Canal Would
Y. work More Than a Mere CONNER
cial lscyolutson-T Touches So
cnrilys,f United States

WASHINGTON, March 2l.-1n response
do a resolution OF the Senate the P1es ss1l-''
dent to-day sent to that body inc cor,
,rnsnnndcnce between the United States
and dl,e Government of Colombia Tela-
s tive to the Panama Canal. me CORE
spondcnce covers the period from 1879 70
1897 1t includes letter of April l9. 1ssV,
from Secretary Brarts TO United S'a.es.
minister Bmert Dichnan. in which the
Secretary took ground against the con-.
duct OF construcrively criuc!sing Colon
bia IN granting TO the French Government
! the exclusive right TO build a canal across
The lsthmus. He said In this dispatch:
This enterprise. once achieved. works
more than a commercial revolution. 1t
touches the conditions under which the
security of the United States may need
to- be maintained. While The United
States feel no concern as to the ade-
quacy Of their power TO meet any cmer-
eencies that may arise. yet it Is
unwise not to anticipate possible contin-
gencies which may expose our systems 10
trials not now obvious or probable. All
the treaties OF neutrality in the world
might fail to be safeguard in a time Of
great conflict
JOINT CONSIDERATION
sHence he instructs Mr.. Dichman to
say to The Colombian Government that
the United States would demand that
the construction OF an isthmian canal
should be the subject of joint considera-
ton with a view to the protection of
those interests which bind the South and
North American republics together as
closely ms other interests and relations
bind The European Powers p
He added: .'Ycu will add that this gov
eminent cannot consider itself excluded
by any arrangements between other powers
or indiy1 duals to which 1t is not a party,
from n direct Interest and, If necessary,
IN positive supervision and, inteTposition
in the execution OF any project which by
completing an sinter-oceanic. connection
through the isttmus would materially
AFFECT its comm ercia1 Interests, change the
.ter1dtUdal relations OF its own sovereignty
foreign policy, which, whether in its
lfeHture Of w'arlike preparation or en-
itanEling alliance, has been hitherto
aIdous1y avoided =
Pointing out an sinter-oceanic canal S
Importance In war time. he instructed the
suggestion to the Colombian government
that its military strength would be in
adequate to maintain its security or neu-
tra1ity, and that the enforcement of the
guarantee of the United States would
probably be Sought as had before been
trase case The duty of the United States,
both to itself and to the Colombian gov
ernment, would be to see that they were
dn a position to enforce the guarantees
which existing treaties impose and which
friendship for Colombia would induce the
fu1fflkment with scrupulous fidelity. s7sssgss
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION.
Another communication OF some inter
est is that OF Secretary Foster to Mr..
Cough1in of December 90 1892, relating
to the request of the Panama Canal Com
pany for an extension of one year He
opposed the concession. saying that the
company was bankrupt.
Rapprting later that the extension had
been granted. Minister Abbott said: The
time will never come. in my Judgment,
when the Colombian Government will re-
fuse to grant canal concessions to Euro
pean companies until a definite PROPOSE
ton for the construction of the work
{ shall como from the Government or
reliable company Of the United States.
The last document of the series is
the Colombian Legation at Washington.
against the attitude of the United States
Government toward the Nicaraguan
Canal. He said the new Panama Canal
Company is we'll equipped. and reminds
the Secretary Of State that there are
doubts about the practicability Of the
construction of the Nicaragua route. He
expressed doubt to whether, with the
two canals constructed, either would
nay, and reminded the United States
that the support given by this country
to the Nicaragua route would be iniu-
1ious to Panama.
Hon. John Sherman was the Secretary.
and the record shows that he only for
1naii1- acknowledged the note se1EgzE -