The Globe-republican., 1902-11-27
OUR CONTINENTAL SWAY.


That signing of the treaty on the Unit
ed States battle ship Wisconsin by the
representatives. of the government of
Colombia and the rebels against its au-
thority was great historical picture.
Possibly the Immediate participants and
spectators did not grasp its Importance.
Persons who stand close to great events
seldom do. The world in general how
ever, especially that part of the world
comprised in the great nations of Europe,
will gauge its significance. This means
the end of the Colombian rebellion. For
more than three years the instruction
was under way. Several times it was on
the point of success, seemed to be. AS
was the case with the president of Vene-
zuela, it was said that the president of
Colombia was more than once during the
rebellion on the point OF leaving his
country and flying to Europe for safety.
and that an American vessel had been
selected to be used a refuge while he
was getting away from his country. AT
the present moment, however, the main
tenance of his authority is assured.
An immediate consequence of the over
throw of the rebels and the restoration of
normal conditions in Colombia VIII be
the negotiation of treaty between Co
1ombia and the United States whereby
government can get the conditions which
it asks for the construction and control
of the canal across the isthmus of Pan
anna. President Marroquin is quoted
saying that personally he is favorable to
the negotiation of such a treaty, and in
I4atin-American country a Presidents in
fiuence goes long way except when a
rebellion is in progress against his
gime. General elections for a new Con
gress to be held in Colombia, its
president says, on January 1, and he will
0onvoke Congress in extra session in
March to agree to the terms which the
United States demands. 1t was said that
Colombia's president was against the
granting of control in perpetuity to the
United States over the strip of land
each side of the canal which wanted,
but the present indications are that he is
willing to grant these concessions, and
that he will obtain from his Congress the
legal sanction for his acts.
But the aspect of this signing of the
treaty of peace on an American war YES
sci which will strike the outside world as
especially significant is that which shows
the United States in the role of an arbiter
in Colombia's quarrels. 1t is true, of
course, the United States does not assume
any responsibility for any of the pledges
which each side in that peace convention
made to the other. Any or all those
promises NAV be violated tomorrow by
one or both of the contracting parties
without affecting the action of this coun-
try. But the fact that Colombia and its
rebels met on board a American vessel
and arranged their peace there is a con-
cession to the United States paramount
interest in and influence over the other
independent nations of the American
continent which will impress the world.
No matter whether the Isthmlan canal be
built at Panama or at Nicaragua, the
first shovelful of earth which is thrown
up in the work of construction will see
an increase of the United States power
and influence over the rest of the nations
of the hemisphere. This country at that
moment will gain larger stake than it
has had hitherto in the peace and stabil-
ity of the rest of the continent, and this
will have dominant influence hereafter
our attitude toward the remainder of
the nations this side OF the Atlantic.
The comments OF the London, Paris,
Berlin, Rome and St. Petersburg papers
on this episode on the battle ship Wis
consin will be of interest TO the people
both sides OF the ocean. The signing of
Colombia's peace treaty on the Ameri-
eau war vessel marks an epoch in the
history of the Western hemisphere. and
Proclaims, through the act of one of the
greatest of the countries Of the southern
part of the continent, the political guar
diauship of the new world by the Unit
ed States.-Globe-Demo