Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-27
The President and the Canal.

| The act of Congress approved June %
last, providing for the construction Of an
| isthmian canal between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans, contained the following pro-
| vision:
| THAT should the President be unable to
obtain for the United States a satisfactory
| title to the property of the New Panama
| Canal Company the control of the
necessary territory Of the republic of Co.
| lombia and the rights mentioned in Sec
| lions one and two of this act, within a
| reasonable time and upon reasona BILE
| terms, then the President, having first OBJ
| tafned for the United States perpetual con-
troll by treaty of the necessary territory
| from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, upon
terms Which he may consider reasonable,
| for the construction, perpetual maintenance,
| operation and protection of canal con-
Meeting the Caribbean sea with the Pacific
| ocean by what Is commonly known as the
Nicaragua route. shall through the said
| fsthmian canal commission cause to be ex-
cavated and constructed ship canal and
waterway, etc"
That is now the law. The President,
through the Secretary OF State, has opened
negotiations with Colombia, having first
ascertained the validity of the title offered
to this government by the New Panama
Canal Company. for the grant of the neces-
sary strip Of territory and for the other
the canal act, namely Jurisdiction over the
strip and the ports at the ends thereof.
The negotiations, 1t is now reported, have
failed. Colombia demanding terms which
this government regards as excessive and
refusing to grant the perpetual control
which the act requires. There is no pres
ent prospect OF a break In the deadlock
The section of the law cited above does
not define reasonable time" or reason
able terms" The President Is sole Judge
Of whether the terms offered by Colombia
are reasonable and whether, If he deems
them unreasonable, he has waited reason
able time for the conclusion Of the nego-
tiations. Apparently, IL the semi-off1cial
announcements which have been published
are to be accepted, the administration re-
CARDS the proposed terms as unreasonable
and the elapsed period as all that reason
can demand.
Therefore, 1t would seem to be the duty
OF the President, under the terms of the
act Of June %, forthwith to proceed to
declare the negotiations with Colombia
closed and upon that basis to open def
nitive negotiations with Costa Rica and
Nicaragua in order to obtain proper ter
| ritorial grants along the Nicaragua route
Congress placed that responsibility upon
him, anticipating the possibility OF a hitch
In the Colombian negotiations or a failure
OF the Panama company's title. or both.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica. with apparent
propriety. refuse to be drawn into the affair
at the present stage, evidently fearing to
be used as levers to force Colombia to
| terms They are quite within. their rights
They desire the canal constructed along the
Nicaragua route. They offer tentative
terms. which are wholly within reason.
solely for the purpose of the construction
of the canal within their territory. There
is no reason to anticipate that II thus APP
preached they will block the negotiations
with absurd contentious.
Time Is valuable In this matter. Many
years have already been wasted in de-
bates commissions examinations, negotia-
lions and maneuverings. The interests
inimical to any sort of canal are still alert.
The people of the United States have sunk
their individual preferences as to the route
to be adopted, believing that practicable
waterway can be constructed on either
line. They demand such construction.
The sole question. therefore, before the ad-
ministration is whether the time has come
| to declare the impossibility of further deal
| ings with Colombia and to turn to those
| governments which are eager to do busi-
ness with the United States on fair terms
| and, under grants from them, to construct
a canal along the route which probably
majority of people today believe, despite
the action of Congress last June, to be the
| better Of the two.