BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-19
SAN JUAN, DECEMBER 19
Editorial Comment.

The full text of the new Hay. .PauncefOte
treaty confirms the view that We took OF il
from the more or less vague and detective
outlines that appeared in the pIesS, namely,
that while it differs in form from the original
treaty, there ia very slight difference in
sub stsLce or effect. 1t provides peaceful
highway for the commerce of the world, to
be constructed by American enterprise and
with American capital, and to be under
excluive Amsricau control. The United
States will have power s. to maintain such
military police along the. canal ~ may be
necessary to protect it against lawlessness
and disorder" but beyond that no express
power to " fortify" is either given or denied.
81 The canal shall be free and open to the
vessels OF commerce and of war of all
nations" observing the rules prescribed for
the preservation Of its neutrality, and s'shali
never be blockaded, nor shall any right Of
war be exercised. nor any act of hostility
be committed within it,"
The main difference between the new
and the original treaty is that we are to
go it alOne1 in every ything-build the
canal with cur own m .ney, control it absol.
utely and preserve its neutrality in war
and peace. We are not to share the res
possibility with Great Britain, neither are
we to request other nations to give approval
Of any sort to what We do. The canal,
when completed. will be thrown open to
the commerce of the world, subject to such
tolls and regulations as we may prescribe.
Every nation accepting those terms Of usage
will be entitled to protection in the peaceful
use OF the canal 1T all times, war as we'll
- peace, allowing bclligerents to pass their
war vessels through it on the conditions Of
least possible delay, Of no act Of hostility
and OF no embarkiDg or disembarking Of
troops or provisions or munitions Of war in
the canal, except in case of accidental
hiDGrance. Instead of q canal to be used
by this country for its own military purposes
in time Of war, this will be a canal which
we guarantee to keep open for the free use
OF all nations in war as well az in peace.
We can fOrtify it for that purpose ii We
choose to do 60, or we Can "pOllcs" 1t for
the same end, but not for our exclusive use
1T any time. This will be q sad " dose :"
for the remaining military caral" sd-
vccates in the Ssnate-"B,ll," Mason OF
Illinois, Money of Mississippi, Harris of
Kans4s and possibly Morgan Of fAlabama-
but it is victory for both civilization and
common sense, and will prevail.
The new treaty is, in fact, what President t
Roosevelt said it was in his message--the
result Of negotiations conducted on both
sides in spirit OF friendliness and mutual
good will and respecs," Its provisions have
already been approved by the great majority
of the Republican senators, and its rAtliica-
tion at an early day may be taken for
granted. Its ratification, as the President
says, twill enable us to begin preparations
tor On isthmian canal at any timSn under
conditions which will ''guarantee to this
nation every right that it has ever asked in
connection VITA the .naln At present the
chances are in favor Of tue selection of the
NicarsguSn route because Of the Congress
ional approval ofthe report Of the commiss o
appointed by President Mckinley to decide
upon the relative merits OF that and the Pa.
mama route. Tue commission v 9 universally
recoguistd d as ~ able body Of experts as
could be got t"gelh,r. They spent great
deal Of tine in investigating both rou:ts,
visiting Paris first in order to eIsmlne ali
the evidence bearing on the subject there,
and subsequently, going to Psnams ard
Nicsragus. They agree-one member of
the nine dissenting-ia favor Of the Nicar
sguan route, saying that the s'actual silu,
ton ss it now stands, having in view
the terms offered by the new Panama Canal
Company induces the commission to be
leys that the Ncarsgnan route is the most
''praCticable and feasible" one. They base
this estimate largely, ~ they say, upon the
pice which the Panama Canal Company
asks for their concession, . 1O9, ,OO3, 900.
They place the value of the work done 1t
Panama at $4O,0OO,OOO. II the Panama
company scers to reduce their price to this
latter figure the situation would, Of course,
cnange materially, but until they do there
ID little reason to think that congress will
accept the Panama route in preference to
that Of Nicaragua.