Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-12
THE PANAMA CANAL
Possible Secession of Two
States From Colombia.
EFFECT ON TREATY
OPERATIONS WILL BE WATCHED
WITH INTEREST.
What President Marroquin May Do In
Regard to the Matter and the
Duty of This Country.

The report that comes from Panama to
the effect that if the canal treaty Is not
ratified by the Colombian congress the
states of Panama and Cauca which occupy
the Isthmus of Panama will secede and
form an independent republic is OF especlal
interest in view of the provisions of the
treaty that would make is impossible for
them to take such action soon as the
treaty Is ratified by Colombia.
The treaty provides that 1.-The rights and
privileges granted to the United States by
the terms of this convention shall not
affect the sovereignty of the republic OF
Colombia over the territory within whose
boundaries such rights and privileges are to
be exercised
At the same time it provides that there
shall be created a joint commission by the
governments of Colombia and the United
States that shall establish and enforce
sanitary and police regulations
Senator Morgan's Contention.
The contention was made by Senator Nor
gan, when the treaty was under consider
alton in the Senate, that these provisions
forever placed the states Of Panama ana
Cauca within the power of the Colombian
government however unjust or unpopular
that might become, and that the United
States would be- under this treaty, obliged
to maintain order in those states, and even
If they had the power to Secede from CO.
lombia so far that government was
concerned, to prevent them from so doing.
1t is believed by men we'll posted in the
affairs of the canal that the fact that the
states of Panama and Cauca will in the
future be thoroughly restrained in any rev.
olutionary effort by the United States, pro-
vided the treaty is ratified, is acting as an
- v,,,t To n
feat the treaty in the first place and then
to secede and to set up an independent gov
ernment.
The idea of the isthmus states seeding
from Colombia is not new one. 1t has
been in the minds of men in those states for
a long time in the past. The revolutionary
movements of these states have been very
strong.
Purpose of Secessionary Efforts.
Of course the only purpose in the seces-
sionary efforts of the people of Panama
and Cauca is for the purpose of securing
for themselves all the advantages of the
Panama canal when it is completed and in
the meantime to have the advantages ac-
cruing from the control of the Panama
railroad.
Their claims, however are based on broad
charges of corrupt practices on the part of
the Colombian government under Marro-
quin the president.
The result of the reported uprising on the
isthmus will be watched with the greatest
interest. If the people of these states
should be powerful enough to prevent the
ratification of the canal treaty and after
ward to maintain their independence
against the Colombian government, then
the entire situation in relation to the canal
project would be changed.
1t is of especial interest in this connection
to see what action will be determined upon
by -Marroauin in the event he concludes
that the ratification of the treaty could be
prevented and in view of the possibility Of
the states of Panama and Cauca maintain
ing their independence against the Colon-
bian government. The constitution of CO.
lombia is peculiar in the broad powers it
gives the president in times of unsettled
conditions in that country.
President Marroquin's Possible Action.
1t was at such time that Marroqun ex-
tended the concession of the Panama Canal
Company until 1904 without the assent of
congress, which was not then and has not
since been in session. This extension has
always been questioned by the opponents
of the present Colombian government. but
should the congress of that country ratify
the treaty with the United States for the
building Of the canal that action would
carry with it the approval of the extern
sion of the concession OF the Panama Com
pany.
Acting under the same powers it Is be-
leved by many men here that if Colombia
becomes politically unsettled it is quite
possible that Marroquin may ratify the
treaty with the United States 1t would
then be for this country to consider
whether it cared to accept such ratitica-
ton without the approval of the Colom-
bian congress.
If the United States accepted such rat
ifcation of the treaty it would then be it's
privilege to send troops to Panama and
put down any revolutionary uprising, and
in that way the Colombian government
would be maintained in power.