The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-19
Under Act of Congress t is Up to the President to
 Show His Hand
SENATOR MORGAN SAYS II
 IS BETTER FOR COLOMBIA
Distinguished AIabamian Predicted the Result and Evidently Knew Where of He Spoke-The Presidents
 Duty Is Quite Plain.

BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.
 Washington, August 1s.-(Special)- That should the President be unable to obtain for the United States a sat isfactory title to the property of the new Panama company and the control oi the necessary territory of the Re- public of Colombia and the rights mentioned in sections 1 and of this act, within a reasonable time and upon reasonable terms, then the Presi- dent having first obtained for the United States perpetual control by treaty of the necessary territory from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, upon terms which he may consider reason- able, for the construction, perpetual maintenance, operation and protec- ton of the canal connecting the Car ribbean sea with the Pacific ocean by what is commonly known as the Nicaragua route, shall, through the said isthmian canal commission cause to be excavated and constructed ship canal and waterway from point on the shore of the Caribbean sea, near Greytown, by way of Lake Nicaragua, to a point near Brito, on the Pa cif1c ocean,"
 RooseveIt's Plain Duty.
 The above is a section from the isth- milan canal act passed during the clos ing days of the last congress. The Co., lombian senate having rejected the treaty for the construction of the canal by the Panama route, the plain duty of the Pres- ident is to open negotiations with Nica- raeua for the construction of the canal through that route.
 "A reasonable time" has certainly ex- pired or will expire if the administration teels longer with the Colombian govern- ment. ene ratification of a trtety in m amended form means months and months of discussion ln the United States senate. It Is very doubtful if the Colombian gov ernment could draw up treaty to meet the views of this government. At any rate any treaty which might be submitted to the senate would again open the
 $ of discussion and 1t is safe to pre-
 hat before ratified more time would
 tuned than was taken up in the
 leading up to ratification in the
 session of the Fifty-seventh congress.
 FfeolCteo Dy mOiAah'
 The results unaccomplished at Bogota were predicted by Senator John T. Morgan of Alabama From the very beginning he has pointed out with remarkable fore sight the utter futility of dealing with the Panama route Even with the raul fication of the treaty by the Colomplah government in it's present form, ne says unsurmountable legal obstacles stand Ill the way of the Panama route without coh- sidering the engineering features.
 Senator Morgan is believed to be right. pefora a new treaty with Colombia can he forced through congress the whole or the next session will be consumed by de- hate in the senate. It must, therefore, he annarent that the term reasonable time,' in the canal act has about reached it's limit and the only thing remaining for President Roosevelt to do is to in- struct his secretary of state to communi- cate with Nicaragua If it has no other effect if may result in ''bluffing' the Co., lombian senate to ratify the treaty as 1t stands, thus taking Ia step towards soly- ing the impossible Panama problem.
 Railroads Inimical.
 The opposition to the Isthmian canal, as Is well known to all who have follow ed the subject, rests in the trans-con- tinental railways. They have succeeded for years in frustrating the expressed wishes of the people for an inter-oceanic canal The prediction was freely made at the last session of congress that the Panama treaty would prove ineffective and that another long period of delay in the negotiations for a canal would ensue. It was said then that there was fly in the ointment and that the treaty would not prove acceptable to the Colombian government Around the corridors of the capitol it was common gossip that the opposition to an itner-oceanic canal had fixed up the treaty in the manner which would cause it to fail.
 Senator Arthur P. German. leader of the democratic party, in congress, on learning of the rejection of the treaty was not preatly surprised.
 Tt seems to me-" said he, that the canal act is sufficiently explicit and mandatory. It plainly says that, being unable to make satisfactory arrange ments with Colombia. the President shall proceed to construct the Nicaragua ca- nal, after having completed by treaty with Nicaragua and Costa Rica satisfac- tory negotiations for the canal strip. It seems to me that the only course open now Is for the President to begin these negotiations. The people of the country want a canal, and I have no doubt that the administration will make use of the explicit power given it by congress to build that canal"
 Morgan TeIegraphs.
 Senator John T. Morgan of Alabama. chairman of the interoceanc canal com mittee of the senate, telegraphed the fol- lowing statement from his summer home at Warm Springs. Va: If the Colum biau government has rejected the treaty 1t is because Colombia has respect for her con- stitution. a care for permanent relations of friendship with the United States and a regard for her financial interests, all of which dignify that republic in the estima- lion of other nations and peoples.
 "Our duty prescribed and enjoined by law is to apply the appropriation made by tue act of congress to the Nicaraguan route to which there Is no valid objection of any sort With the cordial assent and cooperation of Costa Rica and Nicarag- qua. republics that have always dealt with us in a spirit of sincere friendship .nd oy,6danco fhe canal will be speedily