The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-07
STATEMENT BY
SECRETARY HAY
quotes President Polk Regarding
Treaty Of 1916.
ADVANTAGES TO COMMERCE
70 HINT AS TO PANAMA's ULTI-
MATE DESTINY.
~ AsHNGTON- NOV g-Tbs secre-


III AsHINGTON Nov. 6.-The secre-
9t tary Of state today made the
following statement I'm regard to
i-iars on the Isthmus of Panama.
Lhe action 81 the president I'm the
'anama matter IS not only I'm the
.ttetest accordance with the princi-
oL Justice and equity and i'm line
ltH ~ me best preCedcnts If or pub
PC poucy. but &C. was the only course
ie could have taken I'm compliance with
'uf treaty rights and obligations BY
"4 treaty. entered into with New
y -liala ln the year 1885. New Gran
-la guarantees that 'the right-of-way
n transit across the Isthmus Of Pana-
ua' upon any modes of communication
mar now exist or that may be here
iller constructed. shall be free and
'lcn 70 the government and citizens
pr the United States.
Free Transit
This is a right which we acquired
y the treaty, rot gratituously con-
erred, but in return for an important
compensation, for I'm the same article
he government OF the United Stares
guarantees positively and emcaciously
alon the perfect neutrality Of the
aforementioned isthmus with the
lew that the free transit from the one
10 me other sea may not be inter
upted or embarrassed I'm any future
r1e while this treaty exists: and I'm
'"asequence the United States guar
ntees in the same manner the rights
1t sovereignty and property which
View Granada has and possesses over
he said territory
The close connection thus created
between the two governments was well
PEI forth by,yPresident Polk in his mes
sage trapsmitting the treaty to the
senate He said;
Advantage to Commerce.
~ The Importance Of the concession
-o the commercial and political inter
sts Of the United States cannot be
pVcrrated. The route by the Isthmus
pf Panama is the shortest between the
Wo oceans. and from the information
herewith communicated it would seem
20 be the most practicable for "A rail-
road or canal. The vast advantsges
20 our commerce which would result
from such a communication. not only
from the west coast of America. but
with Asia and the islands of the Pacific
are too obvious to require any detail.
ouch passage would save us from
nan 5000 miles around the Horn. and
-ender our communication with our
)Wn possessions on the northwest coast
pr America comparatively easy and
speedy The treaty does not propose
-o guarantee a treaty to a foreign ma
ion in which the United States viii
lave no common interest with that ma
ZION. ON the contrary. we are more
ieeplv and directly interested I'm the
RAJ N fac
.ry
Natural Sequence.
These consideration. the controlling
= nature or which were at once recognized
so lonE ago have become more and more
Important In every year that has elapsed
-lllfe tne treaty was written Our acJui-
siu0n ~ Hawaii and the Philippines has
glEen them greatly enhanced validity.
The control, IN the interest Of commerce
land traffic of the whole civilized world.
III the means OF undistUTbed transit across
The lsthmus Of Panama has become OF
lranscendem importance to the United
States.
''The right TO this control we have never
forfeited by any laNity of our own. either
ln me assertion OF our rights or iu the
performance OF our duty under the treaty.
tn 1888 Mr. Everitt assured the Peruvian
minister that we should not hesitate to
maintain the neutrality of the isthmus I'm
the case OF war between Peru and COlOm-
bia- tn 1854 Colombia. which has always
conferred by the treaty. expressed it's eX-
pectation that in the event OF war be-
tween Peru and Spain the United States
would carry into effect the guarantee OF
neutrality. There have been few admins
rltiOns of the state department iu which
this treaty has not. hy either one side or
hc other. been used as the basis of more
BIZ less important demands.
Fish and Bayard.
''It was said by Ar Fish in 1871 shat
the department of state had reason To- be-
.ueVe that au attack upon Colombian SOW
creiEuty on the isthmus mad ON several
N occasions been avertCd 10y warning from
This government I'm 1856. when Colombia
was under the menace OF hOsuiues from
Italy in the Cerruu case, Mr.. Bayard eN-
pressed the serious concern that the
United States could not but feel that a
European power should resort to force
against "a sister republic ou this hemis-
uhere. as 10 the sovereign and unluter-
ruured use Of "a part Of whose territory
we are EuarIutors under the solemn faith
5f "a treaty. The United States has not
only constantly protected Colombia from
foreign invasion on the strength OF the
rights and the duties created by the
treaty of 1886. but has time and again i'm
ferVpned 90 preserve the freedom on -rat-
tie from disturbance iu the course of do
rnesfic disscua Ions. I'm these cases we
have interviewed sometimes at the sug-