Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-16
PANAMA REPUBLIC
FULLY DISCUSSED.
Asst Secy of State LOOMS De-.
tends Presidents Course in
Recognizing 1t,
NO DESIRE TO ANNEX PANAMA.
Executed Will of the American People
With Due Regard to International
Law and Rights.

New York, Dec. 15--The conditions
which resulted in the recent establish
ment Of the republic Of Panama were
discussed tonight at the banquet of the
Quill club held at the Hotel Manhat-
tan, by Francis b, LOOMS, assistant
secretary Of state Of the United States,
and NJ. Philippe Bunau-Varilla, minis
ter for Panama. MIR. Loomls said:
I'VE have not desired to annex Pam
anna, and we have not done so. The
president simply executed the will Of
the American people with due regard
TO international law and rights. He
was instructed by Congress to secure a
canal route on the isthmus of Panama
II possible. He waited until the ad-
journment Of the Colombian congress
and gave the government Of that coun-
try every opportunity to ratify the
treaty or to propose some proper
method looking TO the ratification Of
a new treaty and the Colombian con-
gress, in utter bad faith, rejected the
treaty and adjourned.
TN less than a weeks time. and be-
fore the president could be reasonably
expected to turn to grave consideration
OF the Nicaragua route, the long eN-
pccted and inevitable revolution in
Panama came to pass, The people
arose as one man, and In thorough ac-
cord, without the firing OF a single shot
unrcsistod they quietly established a
government OF their own. They had
thrice been independent and the right
Of secession was, | believe, expressly
stipulated In some OF their constitu-
tons.
THE president dispatched our mea-
ger naval force ashore. consisting Of
forty marines, TO do what they could
to preserve peace, order and unimped-
ed transit across the lsthmus He
promptly recognized the de facto gov
eminent as soon as he learned that II
was In peaceful possession of the coun-
try. This Is the usual and necessary
proceeding We have on many occa-
sions recognized new governments with
an equal degree of celebrity and prompt
ness, Later the republic Of Panama
was given full recognition. We are
acting fairly and lawfully under the
treaty of 1876 The administration,
am sure, has no apologies to offer for
its course"
Mr.. Loomls discussed the rejection Of
the canal treaty by the BOgota con-
gress and continued:
III the revolution in Panama had not
occurred II the American people, guild
ed by the opinion of It's most learned,
efficient and highly trusted engineers,
continued TO think the Nicaragua route
an impractcable one, II the people and
Congress OF this country had insisted
that we wait for a year or until such
time as the politicians at Bogota were
ready to negotiate n new canal treaty,
and in the meantime the Congress had
declared invalid the renewal of the
French concession, what might have
happened on the isthmus? | may safe
~ assert without fear Of contradlc-
ton by any wel-nformed person, that
the government of France would not
have stood by and witnessed the pillage
OF thousands Of her people through the
act which Bogota politicians devised for
the lootnig from the French company
OF $4,000, 900.
"The moment that the cables flashed
from Bogota to Paris the last astound-
ing news that the extension or the
French concession was Cancelled, n
French squadron from Martinique
would have borne down upon the 18TH
mus and perhaps landed marines at
Colon and sent them across the 18th
mus to Panama and along the line Of
the canal to protect the interests and
property Of French citizens, There
would. in all probability. have been
armed conflict between France and Co"
lombia, or France at least would have
felt herself compelled 10 hold the 18TH
mus for a long perlod. This would |
have wrought Immediately and poig-
nantly upon the sensibillties Of the |
American people in respect to the Mon
roe doctrine. and we should no doubt |
have found ourselves viewing France |
with annoying apprehension. The |
French warships might easily have |
been followed by those Of England ana |
Holland; and Panama Ike the Balkan |
states, might well have been expected |
to furnish the spark to set half the |
world In flames