New-York tribune., 1903-01-04
TREATY NOT IN SIGHT.
CANAL NEGOTI4 TIONS.
4nRmty To BE Paid Colombia Still
Blocks the WGu
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Washington Jan. 3.-Despte fresh crop of
rrmors concerning the Panama Canal negotia-
tiors which were circulated to-day, there is
no apparent reason to change the statements
made in The Tribune earlier in the week, that
a difference in the size of the annuity amount
ing 20 S5Aaooo still constitutes the obstacle
in the way Of completing the treaty. The Co
lornbian demand amounts TO about S6ooon
while the American offer falls far short OF this
and is placed al about 100000. Therefore
until DR. Herran. the Colombian representative
receives permission from his government to
modify his demand the negotiations have
reached dead halt
William Nelson Cromwell. counsel for the Pan
ANA Canal Company. Secretary Hay, with
Dr Herran. to-day. After his talk with the
Secretary Mr.. Cromwell expressed great salts
faction at the manner in which the negotiations
We're proceeding. and confirmed The tribune
statement that all questions of sovereignty ana
length of franchise-in fact ell points at issue
except that Of the amount of the annuity-had
been arranged to the satisfaction of both coun-
tries He mentioned the Colombian demand
based on the present income derived from the
isfhrnus and placed the value Of this as high
as Stit0oo0 Authoritative figures secured TO-
dav show that in addition to the S25oeoo de-
rived from the annual payment of the Panama
Railroad S13a0e0 is the Colombian hgures lot
mort light house and tonnage dues IhlS leaNeS
S1oooon to he accounted for in other ways. to
make the SGoo0po demanded by the Colombians-
DESPITE the statements made to-day to the con-
+rsry there seems to he no justification for the
idea that the United States has offered to pay
C,lo,,,l,ia an annuity equal TO the sum which she
ran show actual proof Of receiving at the pres
ent time While the American offer OF sIVo''"o
NAV possibly be increased somewhat, there is at
rrasent no evidence of an intention to raise il
S5nNGJ0 at one step
II is understood that the Colomplan chaI se
d'anaires to-day cabled TO his government a ruil
statement of the existing situation and is not
in nosition TO modify the demand except al
the exrress direction of his government In
Colombia according to reports received here
the most extravagant notions exist as to the
rrice this government is likely to pay one
Poao+a paper declares that the first payment,
which has been practically fixed at S1ooooooo
shall he S3O.O0oG00. This is a sample Of the
Colombian public feeling with which the Off
cials Of that country will have to reckon in ap-
proving treaty.
LIKELY TO BE SETTLED SOON
In the face Of these discouraging oircum-
stances there is a general impression abroad
that 2 decision will be reached in the present
month. The question Of price, while difficult
is at least definite and must end in an offer
which VIII have 10 be accepted or rejected and
then .he fate of the canal viii be settled. Ru-
r7lors of an ultin7atum sent by the United States
70 Colombia, allowing ten days for a decision
seem without foundation but, taken in connec-
lion with various other statements voiced in the
last fe-r davs serve to show the trend of
opinion.
AS has been shown in The Tribune before,
the Colombian Government is placed in the
difficult position of meeting on one side an
extravagant popular valuation of the Panama
cessio1 and on the other the increasing i'm
patience manifested by the American people,
both official and throughout the country. 1t is
this public 1neasiness more than any recent
progress in the negotiations which has led GER
tain well informed persons to prophecy a. ter
1nination Of the negotiations within the month
They do not however. venture a guess as to
whether the termination will be favorable or
otherwise Much depends on the nature Of the
Colombian answer 20 DR. Herran's cable dis
patch The attitude Of the Colombian Govern
r11ent al the present moment was characterized
to-day by a person familiar with South Ameri-
can affairs in the following fashion
The Marroquin government said he, lis in
the uncomfortable position of boy who stands
near the top of shaky ladder. Above him is
2 tree laden with fruit; below him is a crowd
of hungry boys clamoring for apples. He knows
that if he takes another step toward the apples
the ladder is likely to break. On the other
hand if he comes down without any apples he
IS likely 10 get d severe beating from his in
dignant conapa anions. The problem of getting
enough apples to satisfy the crowd without
breaking the ladder is a hard one