The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-19
THE INSTANTANEOUS TREATY.
Its Ratification to Be Pressed by the
Administration.


Plans are being made by the AdminIstra-
ton to press with yigor for the ratification
OF the ay-Pauncefote Treaty in its origi@
nal form by the Senate as the first step
toward constructing the isthmian canal.
This bids fair TO be one of the memorable
contests of the session. and all the circum-
stances make il necessary that President
Mckinley and Secretary Hay should bring
70 bear all the influence at their command.
The treaty. affected as it Is by the Hep
burn Nicaragua bill pending in the Senate
and BY the Walker Commission report now
being hurried to completion for the opening
Of Congress. is very complicated. The
y-Psuncefote convention, which was
deemed a necessary precedent to the build
ing and operation OF the canal under United
States control. was sent to the Senate. Feb
ruary 8. 1t amended the Clayton Buiwer
Treaty of 1850. and in it the United States
and Great Britain Joined and bound them
selves 70 protect the building of an inter
oceanic canal and to keep it open to the
shipping CT the world planned the con-
stTuetion Of the canal entirely under tPe
auspices Of the United States, and it pledg-
ed that the canal should be neutral during
war as well as peace. Opposition was rails
ed to the treaty on the ground that it pro-
vided that no Notifications should be erect
ed on the canal that the Clayton Bulwer
Treaty had been abrogated long ago and
there was no necessity for its revival by
the Hay Pauncefote Treaty.
TIE fertilization party Became so strong
that Senator Davis. one of the most fervent
advocates of the treaty. brought in from the
Committee OF Foreign Relations an amend
ment which agreed that nothing in the
| treaty should restrict measures which the
United States may find it necessary TO take
for securing by its own forces the defence
of the United States and the maintenance
! OF public order. No vote was taken on this
amendment in the closing days Of the last
/ session.
| The Hepburn bill, providing for canal
1 with Notifications, PASSED the House and
/ has been made a special order in the Sen
ate for December 10 next. If it should be-
| come a law the treaty would be consid
| cred dead. Efforts will be made by the
! Administration to kill the Davis amend
! ment Senators Davis and Lodge said
1 that they proposed IL in the hope Of cav
! ing the treaty; yet grave doubts are cx-
/ pressed as to whether. If the amendments
were adopted the treaty would be accept
! ed in its amended form by Great Britain
! The amendment was copied from the tenth
/ clause of the Constantinople Treaty Sc
/ curing the neutrality of the Suez Canal
/ and which gave security TO the Turkish
I Government in the right 10 defend by its
own forces its other possessions situated
| On the eastern coast of the Red Sea II
! is pointed out that there is no analogy
between the two situations
The hint is rather strongly made here
that many Senator'S who do not Hare to
oppose the canal openly are doing so Sc
| cretly by opposing the treaty, which. 10
/ the mind of the State Department. is rec
essary as a first step to the building OF
| the Nicaragua Canal.
The Administration will halt only in the
contingency Of the Walker Canal Commits
sion recommending the Panama route.
and what the Walker Commission will 90
/ is shrouded in mystery.