The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-01-14
RATIFICATION OF THE HAY-PAUNCE.
FOTE TREATY.

Events at Washington are shaping
themselves toward final conclusions
on the subject of an isthmian canal.
It was thought in some quarters
that England might object TO the
construction of a canal by the United
States because of certain stipulations
contained in the Clayton Bulwer
Treaty with reference TO a project
that was contemplated half a cen
tury ago. All obstacles from that
quarter were removed, however, by
the signing of a treaty in November,
as mentioned in these pages last
month, which distinctly sets aside
the Clayton-Bulwer convention.
This new treaty, signed by u SEQ
rotary of State and the British Am
bassador at Washington, contains a
variety of stipulstions requiring the
United States, after it has built it's
canal, to give TO all other nations,
both in peace and in war, exactly
the same rights in the actual use of
the canal that Ii for itself.
Il is we'll known that a great many
Senators thought that our State d.
partment should simply have secured
an abrogation of the Clayton Buiwer
Treaty. Nevertheless, the new oon
vention was ratified on December Is
By a vote of 70 TO 6. The text o.
the treaty does not quite bear out
the popular idea of a canal under alb
solute American control, inasmuch
as we have g~ratuitously, in advance,
pledged ourselves never TO exercise
control in our own interest. On
some accounts it would have been
much better to have had a simple
declaration by Congress of it's inten.
tions as TO the equal use of the canal
by all nations, copies of suoh deClara-
ton being transmitted TO all foreign
govel nments through diplomatic
channels. So far as we are aware,
there is no other instance in all the
history of the world in which a gov
eminent has proposed to take
the money of its citizens by
taxation for the construction of
the most costly of all it's pub
lilo works, while pledging itself in
advance that all other nations, under
all conditions and circumstances,
without mourning any of the ex-
pense or risk, shall share in the re-
suits as freely as if they themselves
we're in ownership and control. The
simple fact, however, is that the
people of the United States seem
perfectly willing to do this magnGnI-
nous thing.
THE CANAL N ITS CONTROL.
The United States will obtain by
purchase or perpetual lease from
Nicaragua and Costa RIGA a strip of
Ind several miles wide on either
side of the line of the canal Whether
not in the technical sense this
strip is annexed and comes under
our sovereignty, it will be virtually
American soil and under our flag.
In our opinion, it will never need +
be fortified or to be used in any defen
or offensive military or ma va
The canal will be a
great convenience, however, to our
Navy Department in transferring
warships from n ocean to the other -:
and this facility of transfer will an
able Us to get along with a some
what smaller navy than would other
wise be needed So far as military
and naval advantages are concerned.
the canal will naturally serve our
interests o directly than those of
other ratlons, and we can doubtless
afford TO be generous. Future gen
erations of Americans will, of course,
in their own way with this
as with all others. Treaties
that merely express a policy, even
though perpetual in their terms, can
in practical effect bind only a single
of men. 1t is understood
no difficulties whatever will be
had by q government in comDlet.
ing suitable arrangements with the
governments of Nicaragua and Costa
RIGA. Prof. Emory r.. johnson. of
the Commission which has now com
pie ed its great report upon the en-
g1neering and other aspects of the
canal question, has prepared for our
readers an article which we publish
in this issue of the Review expl i'm
ing the work of the commission and
summing up it's resuls.-Januarv
Review of Reviews.