The sun., 1903-11-04
Panama's Secession.

Panamas SECESSION
The Department Of State is right in
choosing this time for the withdrawal OF
Minister BEAUPRE from Bogota. techni-
cally on leave Of absence, but really, as
there is sufficient reason for supposing.
to mark the displeasure of the United
States Government with the mercenary
politics that accomplished the rejection
OF the Hay -Herran treaty.
What need Of keeping diplomat at
Bogota, where the carefully wrought
products Of friendly and fair diplomacy
have to undergo revision by Congress
bent on blackmail?
Read the following summary Of some
of the provisions Of the Project of Law,
reported to the Colombian Senate on
Aug. 20 by the committee Of that body,
consisting not of the irreconcilables
and extremists, but Of comparatively
moderate and we'll disposed and mild
hammered gentlemen like Mel OsPINA,
RODRIGUEZ and LUIS CAMPO:
ARTICLE l. Ratlnes the dlsapproval of the Treaty
OF 1908, the Hay Herrau treaty.
sARrlcLg II. Gives the President powers to make
other treaties or contracts for a Panama canal.
ARTICLE ". The Colombian Government will
permit the transfer OF the rights OF the Panama
Railroad Company. provided the obligations now
existing are kept in force. especially
/. The payment OF s25o.ooO In gold yearly 10
Colombia:
. The transfer OF absolute control of the rail-
- he A
tho end Of 1857;
s. The payment In that year OF the Just value
OF the work, A1ed by agreement or. in case Of
need, by arbitration.
In this transfer shall not be included the waste
landa mentioned In Title of the contract with
the railroad company, as these lands return to
Colombia.
The ground occupied by the railroad. the sta
tions and other dependencies will return TO the
republic At the end Of the present concession.
ARTICLE v. Colombia will allow the Canal Com
pany to transfer It's rights on the following con-
ditions:
l. That 1, DAYS TO Colombia at the time Of the
transfer. Si0.ooo,ooo
2 That the l. 500 600 hectares OF waste lands that
belong TO It by the contract shall not be ceded.
Noe. The 50, 900 preferred shares held by Colon E
bia in the canal company shall be cancelled on re-
ceipt of the Slooooooo.
ARTICLE VI. The Government is authorized to
make concessions on the following basis:
l. The establishment Of an easement over strip
ten miles wide running from sea to sea, but not In :
Guiding the cities of Panama and Colon for the sole
purpose Of constructing the canal To last 100
years, the contractor to pay Colombia $4,000
year III, 1887 and $500 900 year In gold thereafter
The term may be extended on the basis OF rs per
cent. increase on the maximum payment during
the anterior one hundred year period.
2 Colombia TO Indemnity private owners.
3. Colombia TO permit construction Of ports. dc.
4 Colombia TO have free right OF way across zone
for public roads. DC.
8. Canal company to b. exempt from customs
duties for machinery DC
a Canal to be neutral, and Coombia's sovereignty
ov.r territory and Inhabitants to be explicitly
recognized
7. Mixed tribunals to be established
8. Colombia to look after public order unless 1t
calls In the contracting foreign Government. In
which case the work shall be done at that Govern
ment's own cost.
O. Almiran,e Bay shall In no case be at the dis,
pos.l of the contracting Government. and Colombia
shall deal as she pleases with the district between
the Atrato and San Juan rivers.
ARTICLE VII. Treaty TO lapse II work is not be
run or finished within reasonable limits OF time to
be established by Colombia.
ARTICLE VIII. Arbitration clause.
ARTICLE TX. As a compensation for the conces :
alan Co,onb,a shall receive a minimum price OF
An nm ooo in American gold when the treaty Is
rstined.
ARTICLE Y. ANY contract made with a private
cor,ora,,on shall bear the same terms the con :
,rsc, with the French company, particularly;
l. Colombia to receive shares In the company
propor,lonate to the work done.
e, Colombia to acquire the canal free OF cost at
the end of the ono hurdr year concession.
study this astonishing document, un-
derstand that il proceeded from the
less impudent and avaricious faction Of
tho crowd at Bogota, and derive some
faint idea of the attitude of greed and
the policy of graft VIII fch have been
confronting the United States Govern
ment and the French owners, and the
people of the State OF Panama, while the
world waited for an interoceanic water
! way.
simultaneously with the news of the
withdrawal Of Minister BEAuPRk from
Bogota, we get reports of ferment of
public opinion on the Isthmus indicating
the possibility Of grave events and far
reaching results. 1t lie not surprising
! that the State of Panama should now
declare broken the frail bond that held it,