The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1903-12-16
LOOMS ON PANAMA
Assistant Secretary Of State
Speaks on New Republic.
10 DESIRE TO ANNEX The COUNTRY
PreshdSAt Was Instructed ny Con.
Eress to Secure n Route For the
Canal on the Old Route II Pos
sibIs, and He HAS Done So.

sibIe, and He HAS Done So.
NEW YORK, Dec. IL. - Assistant
Secretary Of State Loomis at the din
ner Of the Quill club at the Hotel Man
haitian here last night delivered the
following address, which bears the au
thority Of an official statement;
THE government has not desired tc
annex Panama and has not done So
The president simply executed the will
Of the American people, with due re-
gard to international law and rights
He was instructed by congress to Sc
cure a canal route on the isthmus OF
Panama If possible. He waited until
the adjournment Of the Colombian con-
gress and gave the government of that
country every opportunity to ratify the
treaty or to propose some proper meth
od looking to the ratification Of new
treaty, and the Colombian congress, in
utter bad faith, rejected the treaty and
adjourned.
In less than a weeks time and be.
fore the president could reasonably be
expected TO turn to grave consideration
of the Nicaragua route the long expect
ed and inevitable revolution in Pana-
ma came to pass. The people arose as
one man, and in thorough accord, with
out the firing of a single shot, unre-
sisted, they quietly established a gov
eminent Of their own. They had thrice
been Independent, and the right OF Sc
cession was, believe, expressly stipu-
lated in some Of their constitutions.
THE president directed our meager
naval force ashore, consisting OF forty
marines, to do what they could to pre-
serve peace, order and unimpeded
transit across the isthmus He prompt
ly recognized the de facto government
as soon as he learned that IL was in
peaceful possession OF the country.
This hs the usual and necessary pro-
ceeding. We have on many occasions
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 1886 The administration.
am sure has no apologies to offer for
Its course
I'VE were more deeply Interested and
more directly in the guarantee contain
ed in the treaty Of 1916 than New
Granada was or any other country.
That treaty was negotiated for the
purpose Of securing TO US certain canal
privileges. We I'm turn agreed 10 guar
antee the neutrality of the isthmuS TO
keep transit open and to keep foreign
aggressors at a distance. We have
carried out the letter and the spirit OF
our part Of the agreement We have
performed generously and faithfully all
OF the duties laid upon us and at times
greatly to our disadvantage and very
great cost Colombia. on the other
hand. seems to have shirked most OF
her obligations
1.-THE rejection Of the treaty M Bogo-
Ia was an unfriendly act from the
viewpoint of international law. TO
lombia appealed to us to enter into a
treaty to build a canal, the treaty was
negotiated with her in most liberal
spirit on our part and was then reject
ed by the Colombian government ana
congress without debate. The cNecu-
tive braAch Of the government, which
had negotiated il, did not Try TO secure
Its ratification II became evident short
ly after the opening of the Colombian T.
congress I'm June that there was not the I
least intention of ratifylng the Hay
-,
have been widely current in Bogota
that the United States could not or
would not build "A canal by any other
than the Panama route
1T occurred TO certain men in Bogo-
Ia that the United States could he made
to pay S2OOOO.O00 or S25.OOOO0O in
stead Of SlO0OO.0O0 or. better still. ms
has been disclosed by recent published
official correspondence If the treaty
were rejected or 20 action taken upou
it and the whole matter postponed for
another year the concession Of the
present French canal company having
expired by that time the renewal of
valid aud all the rilhts privileges and
Wurk OF IN" French canal company
be practically conhscatod and disposed
Of to the United States for S40,O0O,OO0
in addition TO the $lD.u0OOOO as pro
posed and the annuity of 100000 This
was "A radiant and alluring prospect,
and the temptation proved too strong.
Reflect for n moment on the grave
possibilities which confronted this gov
as il pPered into the future
and sought TO provide intelligently for
The many serious complications and
which the president fore
saw. If the revolution in Panama had
not occurred, if the American people,
guided by the opinions of its most
learned, efficient and highly trusted
engineers, continued to think the Mica
aqua route an impracticable one, if
he people and congress Of this country