The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-19
Secretary Hay Acting for the
United States, and Lord
PaunCefote, the British AM
bassador, Attach Signatures
CONCESSIONS MADE
BY GREAT BRITAIN
This Country Has the Right to
Fortity and Guard the Canal
in Time of War-AII Nations
Must Pay the Same Toll Rates
on Entering Canal

Washington, Nov. 1S.-The new Hay
Pauncefote treaty was signed today at
1905 by Secretary Hay for the United
States and Lord Pauncefote, the Brit
ish ambassador, for Great Britain.
This treaty is intended to replace the
first ay-Pauncefote treaty. That con-
vetion was amended so extensively by
the United States Senate at it's last
session that the British government re-
fused to ratify. Within a few weeks
negotiations began afresh between Hay
and Pauncefote which has just resulted
in the new treaty being drawn up and
signed From a due sense of courtesy,
which must be observed toward the
United States Senate wherever treaty
is concerned the state department is
stopped from making public the text of
the new convention, and that will re-
main secret until the Senate itself shall
break the seal off. 1t is said at the
state department that the various pub
lications which have been made of the
alleged text of the treaty are all erro-
neous and conjectural though, in view
of the rather free admissions that have
been made of the purposes of the ne
gotiators, 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.
The principal point of difference be-
tween the new and failed treaty is the
withdrawal of Great Britain from the
joint guarantee of the neutrality of
the canal, thus leaving the United
States the sole guaranteer. The section
of the old proposition respecting the
right to fortify the canal leaves that
right by inference optional with the
United States. All commerce Of what
ever nationality passing through the
canal will fare alike; there will be no
discrimination in rates in favor of Unit
ed States shipping.
Otherwise the new treaty is in
scope similar to last years treaty. 1t
replaces technically the Clayton-Bul-
wer 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 adj
vantage in the 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 befoIe
the Senate meets, or indeed, until the
| treaty shall have been ratified re-
| jected or amended. If ii should be
ratified the state department will pro-
| coed Immediately to negotiate the
| treaties with Costa Rica and Nicaragua
flor which italready has arranged in pro-
tocols 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, it is presumed, that the Near
aguan government only recently an
nounced the treaty of trade and COM
merce with the United States. This
treaty contained sections governing
rights as to canal construction which
are to be replaced by more modern pro-
visions.
There was no particular ceremony
connected with the signing today of the
important convention. Lord Paunce-
fote had been indisposed for several
days past, and it was not expected that
the treaty could be signed before the
end of the current week. However to
the surprise of the state department
officials the ambassador appeared at
the department about noon and the
work of signing the treaty was soon
dispatched.
The scene was the historic diplo-
matte chamber Of the state department
and besides the principals, Secretary
Hay and Lord Pauncefote there were
present: Sidney Smith, chief of the
diplomatic bureau of the state depart
ment; Percy Wyndham. the second
secretary of the British Embassy and
William Gwyn, and Edward Sayeri. the
secretary of states and private mes
sengers whose duty it was to attend to
the placing of the seals. The treaty
was signed by Secretary Hay with
gold pen in a silver penholder which
had been used in the signature of other
conventions and is the personal prop
ertY of the secretary.