The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-19
HAY AND PAUNCEFOTE
SIGN NEW CANAL TREATY
Another Step Is Taken Looking Toward Building
of the Sthmian Waterway.
Text of Convention Withheld Officially But Concessions Are Made
by Great Britain.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1S.-The new
wv Hay-Pauncefote isthmian canal
treaty was signed today at 1906
by Secretary Hay for the United States,
and Lord Pauncefote, the British am
bassador. for Great Britain.
This treaty is intended to replace the
first Hay-Pauncefote treaty. That con-
vention was amended so extensively by
the United States senate at its last ses-
sion that the British government de-
clined to ratify it. Within a few weeks
negotiations began afresh between Sec
rotary Hay and Lord Pauncefote,
which have just resulted in the sigma
tuTe of the new treaty drawn with
special reference TO the objections
found by the senate with the first
treaty.
From a due sense Of the courtesy
which must be observed toward the
United States senate wherever a treaty
is concerned, the state department is
estOpped from making public the text
Of the new convention. and that win
remain secret until the senate itself
shall break the seal of confidence. It
is said at the state department that
the various publications which have
been made of the alleged text of the
treaty are all erroneous and conjec-
tUral, though, in view Of the rather
free admissions that have been made
of the purposes of the negotiations, it
has been possible by the use of the
text of the first treaty to construct
one similar in general terms to the
new convention.
New and Failed Treaty.
The principal point Of difference be
tween the new and the failed treaty
is the withdrawal of Great Britain
from the joint guarantee of the neu-
trality of the canal, thus leaving the
United States the sole gUaranteer. The
excelsior of the old provision respect
ing the right TO fortify the canal leaves
that right by inference. optional with
the United States. All commerce of
whatever nationality passing through
the canal viii fare alike; there will be
no discrimination in rates in favor Of
United States shipping.
Otherwise the new treaty is in scope
similar 10 last years treaty. 1t re-
places technically the Clayton Bulwer
treaty, concluded on April 10, 1850. By
the terms of that old convention the
United States and Great Britain agreed
that neither should seek any advan-
tages in rights of transit across the
isthmus. BY the new convention Great
Britain yields her right in favor of the
United States, which is thus at liberty
to construct a canal.
Nothing more remains to be done as
far as this treaty is concerned before
the senate meets, or, indeed, until the
treaty shall have been ratified, reject
ed or amended. If it should be ratified.
the state department will proceed i'm
mediately TO negotiate the treaties with
Costa Rica and Nicaragua for which
it already has arranged in protocols
pending before the senate which will
permit the canal to be constructed and
prescribe the terms upon which the
consent Of Nicaragua and Costa Rica
is given. 1t was in anticipation Of this
action, it is presumed, that the Near
aguan government only recently de-
nounced the treaty of trade and com
merce with the United States This
treaty contained sections conveying
rights as to canal construction which
provisions.
Was No Ceremony.
There was no particular ceremony
connected with the signature of the
important convention. Lord Paunce-
fote had been indispOsed for several
days past, and it was not expected that
the treaty would be signed before the
end of the current week. However,
to the surprise of the state department
officials, the ambassador appeared at
the state department at noon and the
work Of signing the treaty was soon
disposed of.
The scene was in the historic diplo-
matte chamber of the state depart
ment, and beside the principals, Secre-
tary Hay and Lord PauncefOte, there
were present Sidney Smith. chief of the
diplomatic bureau of the state depart