The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-12-11

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The best work ashore Is Indispensable,
but the highest duty of q naval officer is
to exercise at sea.
there should be provided a naval general
staff on lines similar to those of the general
STAFF lately, created for The army. Within
the service. have brought about a system
under which the duties of a general stan
are partially performed; for the bureau of
navigation has under Its direction the war
college, the office of naval intelligence and
the board of inspection, and has been in
close touch with the general board OF the
navy. But though under the excellent off,
GERS at their head, these boards am bureaus
do good work. they have not the authority
OF a general stan, and have not sufficient
scope TO insure a proper readiness for
emergencies. We need the establishment
by law of a body of trained officers. who
shall exercise a systematic control Of the
militaTy affairs Of the navy, and be author
lzed ADVISERS OF the secretary concerning 1t.
The Isthmian Canal.
BY the act Of June Is, 1902, the congress
authorized the president to enter into
treaty with Colombia for the building Of
the canal across the Isthmus of Panama;
i fa,1 pelng prox s 4 that In the event Of
lapse of a reasonable time. recourse
should be had to building a canal through
Nicaragua. 1t has not been necessary to
consider this alternative, as I am enabled
TO lay before the senate a treaty provid-
ing for the building of the canal across
the Isthmus of Panama. This was the
liberate Judgment of the congress. and
we can now acquire by treaty the right
to construct the canal over this route.
which route the isthmian canal shall be
built, for that question has been definite
" and irrevocably decided. The question
is simply whether or not we shall nave
an isthmian canal.
When the congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia, the essence of the
condition. OF course, referred not to the
government which controlled that route,
but to the route itself, to the territory
across which the route lay. not to the
name which for the moment the territory
bore on the map. The purpose of the law
was to auth1rize the president to make
a treaty with the power In actual con
purpose has been fulfilled.
Isthmian Treaty Obligations.
In the year 1916 this government en-
tered into a treaty with New Granada,
the predecessor upon the sthmus of the
Of Colombia and Of the present
was provided that the government and
citizens of the United States should al
ways have free and open right of a
or transit across the thrnu of Panama
by any modes of communication that
might be constructed. while in return our
government guaranteed the perfect neu-
the view that the free transit from the
n to the other sea might not be inter-
rupted or embarrassed. The treaty vest
ed in the United States a substantial
property right carved out of the rights of
sovereignty n property which New
Granada then had and possessed over the
said territory. The name of New Gran
has been divided. It's successor, the gov
ernment of Colombia, has ceased to own
any property IN the isthmus. A new
one time a SOVEREIGN state and at an
other time a mere department of the sue
cessive considerations known as New
ed to the rights which first one and then
the other formerly exercised over the
But as long as the isthmus en-
dures, the mere geographical fact Of it's
IN which is required by our position,
perpetuate the solemn contract which
binds the holders Of the territory TO re-
spect our right to freedom of transit
across 1T, and binds us in return to safe
guard for the isthmus and the world he
exercise of that inestimable privilege.
me true wstd ihtetf ZIP Of the obligations
this treaty of 1886 has been given repeat
edly in the u~tteiances of presidents and
secretaries of state.
discovery of this hemisphere, the canal
across the istbmus has been planned. Fur
tWoscore years II has been worked at.
to alter the geography of a continent and
the trade routes Of the world. We have
shown by every treaty we have negotiated
in control of the isthmus and with foreign
nations in reference thereto our consistent
good faith in observing our obligations; on
and on the other hand to the civilized world
whose commercial rights we are safe
guardfng and guaranteeing by our action.
and Spirit, and we have shown the utmost
forbearance in e1acting our own rights.
Colombin's Reputation of treaty.
Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred to, a treaty concluded between the
representatives of the Republic of Colom-
by the senate. This treaty was entered
into at the urgent solicitation of the peo-
pecially to go Into the matter OF the
routes across the isthmus had pro-
Panama ro unanimously Tn gga n in favor fay Of
every concession was made to the people
and to the government of Colombia. We
were more than just In dealing with
make 1T a serious question whether we
had not gone too far in their In
terest at the expense of our own for in
heed, not merely to the real but even to
the fancied rights of our weaker neigh
Dor, who already owed SO much to our
In all possible ways to her desires in
drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless the
government of Colombia not merely
the treaty, but repudiated it
in such manner as to make it evident nv
time the Colombian Congress adj.
journed that not the scantiest hope re-
manned of ever getting a satisfactory
treaty from them. The government a.
Colombia made the treaty. and vet when
the congress was called to
ratify it the vote against ratification was
unanimous. 1t does not appear that the
government made n real effort to Sc.
cure ratification.
Revolution I'm
Immediately after the adjournment Of
the congress a revolution broke out in
Panama. The people of Panama had
been disconnected with the Republic
of Colombia, and they had been ltent
quiet only by the prospect OF the con
clusion Of the treaty, which was 10 them
a matter of vital concern. When AZ he.
came evident that the treaty. was bone-
lessly lost, the people of Panama rcsse
literally as one man. Not a shot was
fred by a single man on the isthmus in
the interest of the Colombian govern
ment. Not a life was lost in the accom-
plishment of the revolution. The Colom-
bian troops stationed on the isthmus.
who had long been unpaid, made COM
mon cause with the people of Panama,
and With astonishing unanimity the new
republc was started. The duty of the
United States in the premises was clear.
IN strict accordance with the principles
laid down by Secretaries Cass and Seward
the United States gave notice that I'll
would r,arrn{tV thu londfno of - a~no5tr