New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-21
CANAL TREATY RATIFIED
APPROVED BY THE SENATE
IN MODIFIED FORM.
THREE IMPORTANT DEPARTURES FROM
THE ORIGINAL TEXT-YOTE ON
RATIFICATION 80 TO Is.
[RY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuSE.l

Washington Dec 20-The Senate this after
noon. by a vote of % to IS ratified the Hay
Pauncefote Canal Treaty, modified in three i'm
portant particulars. A week ago the Senate
approved by more than a two-thirds majority
the so-called Davis amendment. adapting TO the
situation in Central America the option given
to the Khedival Government in the Suez Con-
vention to take any necessary steps "for the de-
fence of its own borders' even If such steps
traversed the general neutrality obligations i'm
posed by the Constantinople agreement To-day
it added by similarly decisive votes the two
provisos drawn by Mr.. Foraker and favorably
reported by the Foreign Relations Committee.
BY the terms of one of these amendments the
Hay y-Pauncefote agreement, drawn to annul and
supersede a portion of the Clayton-Bulwer
Treaty is made to denounce the whole of that
much debated instrument By virtue OF the
other the international concert contemplated in
the Hay-Pauncefote Convention is omitted en-
tirely. and no other Powers besides the United
States and Great Britain are to be called on TO
guarantee the naturalization of the isthmian
waterway.
ACCEPTED AS COMPROMISE.
In its amended form the treaty is undoubtedly
open TO the charge of ambiguity and vagueness,
and it's completed text involves some obvious
confusions and contradictions of purpose 1t
was accepted oy the Senate a compromise be-
tween two openly conflicting conceptions OF this
Governments aim in pushing the isthmian canal
project According to one, the proposed water
way was to be devoted TO purely commercial OBJ
jects, and its benefits were to accrue equally to
all maritime nations using it, as its neutraliza-
ton to be guaranteed by common interna-
tional agreement. According to the other con-
ception, the isthmian canal was to become a
part of the American coast line. was to be built
and operated as distinctly American enter
tary advantage IN time of war That the treaty
tie turned as it has been from its original pur-
pose and meaning is perhaps the most signif-
cant feature of the fight for ratification which
has been under way for nearly twelve months
past.
1t is accepted as foregone conclusion that the
Administration will at once submit the amended
treaty to Great Britain, in the hope that the
Senate's changes may be approved by the Queen
and her advisers Should the British Govern
ment fail to consent to the three notifications
insisted on by the coordinate branch of the
treaty making power, there would seem to be no
remedy but to begin negotiations on other
premises for the termination Of a compact which
has so far only frustrated the chief object it
intended to promote and which accords
with the real interests of neither nation which
signed it half century ago.
ANALYSIS OF THE VOTE.
The vote on ratification showed a gratifying
solidarity Of sentiment on the part of the most
progressive and influential elements in both
parties in the Senate. In the opposition were