Evening star., 1900-12-22
| Mr.. LODGES STATEMENT
SENATE AMENDMENTS TO THE
TREATY EXPLAINED.
No Hostility Toward England indicate
ed Nor Any Reflection on the
Secretary of State.

made the following statement:
1.-The Senate amendments are very impor
tant, but they are also very simple, al
though there seems to be some misunder-
standing in regard to them, owing to the
fact that all the debates upon the treaty
took place behind closed doors. Now that
the amendments and votes have been made
public by order of the Senate. it may not
be amiss to explain them briefly.
LET me say first, that the amendments
were not dictated by hostility toward Eng
land. and still less were they In any degree
reflection upon the Secretary OF State,
whose patriotism, purity OF purpose knowi- |
edge, accomplishments and high achieve |
ment In dealing with our foreign relations, |
especially in China, are fully and cordially |
recognized by men Of all parties and all
shades of opinion in the Senate. The amend
ments were made by the Senate solely be- |
cause in its opinion they were necessary |
for the interests OF the United States. for |
the avoidance of any question as to the
control OF the canal, and consequently for |
the sake of peaceful and harmonious rela- |
ttons with the rest Of the world on that SUD
ject in the future. The vote by which they
were adopted show this. The second or |
Davis amendment passed by vote OF to |
to II. and the other two were adopted With |
out division
THE first amendment is simple dec!ara- |
ton that the Clayton-Bulwer treaty ceases |
to exist and Is superseded by the Hay
Pauncefote treaty. The object of the latter
was to remove the former as an obstacle |
to the construction Of the isthmian canal |
Some good Judges thought that the Hay
Pauncefote treaty did this completely as 1t
stood. Others believed that certain por- |
tions of the Cfayton-Bulwer treaty stli re-
maned in force. To allow this doubt to
continue, would have been grave ms
take. The American people desired 70 De
rid of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty hnaify pc
yond question. This is reasonable ana
proper WISH and to fulfill it Is the purpose |
of the first amendment
The Canal In War.
Under article IL of the Hay-Pauncefote |
treaty 1t stood we were clearly bound |
if engaged in war, to permit hostile hee''
if it succeeded in getting inside the three
mile zone to pass unmolested through the |
canal. This may or may not be u practical |
question. and it is of no consequence !
whether 1t is or not. 1t was solemn prom |
ise to permit hostile fleet to use the canal. |
That promise We either intended to keep or |
else we made it knowing that under the |
stress of war we should break it. If We |
meant to keep 1t then 1t was a promise no |
nation ought to make. If we knew that we |
should not keep 1t in time of war then II |
was only honest and fair to relieve our
selves of the obligation in the treaty Itself. |
This the purpose of the second DAVIS |
amendment, which entirely dsposes of any |
such promise. and which follows exactly IN |
principle, and almost exactly in words. ar
ticle X of the Suez convention, which re- |
served similar rights to Turkey. whose in
terest in the Suez canal is trivial compared
to ours in that proposed in Nicaragua.
Invitation to other Nations.
The third amendment strikes out article
III. by which we engaged to invite other
nations to adhere to the treaty and thereby
become parties of it. Had there been no
Clayton -Bulwer treaty we should have ne
gotiated with no one except Costa Rica and
Nicaragua as to building the canal. With
England, owing to the ClaytonBulwer
treaty, We're obliged to treat, but as we
expect Europe to keep out Of this hemis-
phere. it seemed to the Senate unwise, how
ever excellent and liberal the intention. to
invite European nations to share IN an
American treaty. and thus give them the
right to NEEDLE in American affairs at any
point.
Such was the purpose of the three
amendments, which In no way derogate |
from the intention of the United States |
that this canal shall be neutral highway
for the worlds commerce.
England's Attitude.
DO you think England will accept or re-
ject these Senate amendments?" the senator |
asked. Il
That Is a question | have been asked |
many times, and upon which / do not think |
would be right or proper for me to express
an opinion" was the reply. But think l
can with propriety say a word as to our |
view of the amendments. 1t is well recog- |
nzed in international law that. when The !
conditions under which treaty has been |
made have radically changed and new COR |
ditions and new demands have arisen, this |
fact is an ample ground for seeking az abb |
rGgatjGn or modification of the original IN |
strument. The American people desire to |
build, and mean to build and control the |
isthman canal! They recognize that the |
Clayto -Buwer treaty, made fifty years |
ago, under conditions no longer existent, |
stands in the way. They have desire to |
clear it from their path in violent fashion |
by formally denouncing it, or by passing |
laws and taking action in contravention Of |
its provisions. They wish to remove II by !
amicable arrangement. in suitable and be |
coming manner The HayPauncefote treaty |
framed for this object.
The Senate is part of the treaty-making |
power, and treaties sent to it for ratifica
ton not strictly treaties. but projects |
for treaties. They are still inchoate. In |
the exercise OF its undoubted rights, with |
out the slightest reflection upon any one, |
and without a shadow of hostility to a |
friendly nation, the Senate, continuing the |
negotiation begun by Mr.. Hay, offers three |
new propositions to England. They ask |
her to omit the clause inviting other ma |
tions to adhere. which does not touch her |
at all. They ask her to conform to our |
desires by agreeing in istakable Ian |
guage to the suppression of the Clayton |
Bulwer treaty by the Hay-Pauncefote !
treaty. which is the whole purpose of the |
negotiation. They ask her finally to accept |
| In this treaty the reservation of rights in |
| time of war which she granted to Turkey |
| in the SueZ convention. and of which, as |
| the present pOSSeSSOr OF Egypt, she Is now |
| herself the beneficiary.
| Fair Propositions.
'These propositions are all essential to |
| American interests. and fair, reason
able friendly and in no possible sense Of
| fensive. England's interest in having the
canal built, be 1t great small, is second |
| only to that of the United States. for she
| alone has, like the United States, large |
possessions in North America and both an |
Atlantic and Pacific coast. We agree that |
| all vessels of commerce and Of war shall
| pass through the canal on the same terms |
| of our own, and in between other !
| powers we agree to preserve the neutrality
| of the canal toward all belligerents In
| reference to the wishes of Nicaragua and
! Costa Rica In regard to this treaty, and not
| to any may hereafter make with them,
| we relinquish the right to erect permanent
! fortifications, and although there is no
| need Of such Notifications. the right to
| erect them is an important right, and it's
REIMBURSEMENT goes to the last verge of
| concession. The vast expense Of the canal
is ours. the maintenance and defense of
| 1t ours, and the American people will never |
| permit canal there which they do not