The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-12-10

Workmanship IL being ssesdily raised.
The best work, ashore is ta4ispens aslc.
- sst the ss, aisaess duty Of naval officef is
IL Is eminefftly desirable, however that
there should be provided naval general
stan on lines similst to those of the general
the navy departFaest itself the needs of
the service have brought about a. system
under which the duties Of general stan
navigation has under its direction the war
college, the office of nsral intelligence and
the board of inspection and has been in
close touch with the general board Of the
navy. But though under the excellent Off
GERS at their head, these boards and bureaus
do good work, they have rot the authority
scope to insure proper readiness for
emergencies. We need the establishment
by law of a body of traiilsT officers who
military AFFAIRS Of the navy, and be author
lied advisers Of the secretary concerning it.
The IstIistaaan Canal.
By the act of June g. 1902, the congress
authorized the president to enter into
treaty with Colombia for the building Of
the canal across the Isthmus Of Panama;
1T being provided that in the event of
failure to secure such treaty after the
lapse OF a reascnaSe time: recourse
Nicaragua. 1t has: not been necessary to
consider this alternative as am enabled
to- lay before the semitic a treaty provid
ing for the building of the canal across
the lsthmus of Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the de-
Hberates, judgment of the congress. and
we can now acquire by treaty the right
to: construct the canal over this route.
The question now, therefore, Is not by
which route the isthmfarr canal shahsTbe
ly and irrevocably decidedi Ths question:
Is simply whether or not we shall have
an isthmian canal.
When the congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia, the essence of the
condition. Of course, referred not to the
government which contruiledi that route.
but to the route itself; to- the territory
across which the route lay. not to the
name which for the moment the territory
bore on the map. The purpose of the law
treaty with the power In actual con-
troll of the Isthmus of Panama. This
purpose has been fulfilled:
Isthmian Treaty obligations.
In. the year 1876 this government en-
tered into treaty with New Granada,
Republic Of Colombia and! of the present
Republic of Panama, by which treaty it
was provided that the government and
citizens of the United States should al
ways have free and open right of way
or transit across the ISthmus Of Panama
by any modes of communication that
might be constructed, while in return our
government guaranteed the perfect neu-
trality of the above-named isthmus with
the view that the free transit from the
one to the other sea might not be inter-
ed in the United States substantial
property right carved out of the rights of
sovereignty and property which New
Gra era then had and possessed over the
ada has passed away and its territory
has been divided. Its successor, the gov
eminent of Colombia, has ceased to own
any property in the isthmus. new
republic, that of Panama, which was at
one time sovereign state. and at an
other time mere department of the sue
Granada and Colombia, has now succeed
ed to the rights which first one and then
the other formerly exercised over the
isthmus. But as long as the isthmus en-
existence, and the peculiar interest there
in which is required by our position,
perpetuate the solemn contract which
binds the holders of the territory to re-
spect our right to freedom of transit
across it, and binds us in return to safe
guard for the isthmus and the world the
The true Interpretation of the obliga tons
upon which the United States entered in
this treaty of 1916 has been given repeat
edly In the utterances of presidents and
secretaries of state.
For 400 years, ever since shortly after the
discovery of this hemisphere, the canal
across the isthmus has been planned. For
twoScore years 1t has been worked at.
When made it is to last forthe ages. 1t Is
to alter the geography of a continent and
the trade routes Of the world. We have
shown by every treaty we have negotia ted
or attempted to negotiate with the peoples
in control of the isthmus and with foreign
nations in reference thereto our consistent
good faith in observing onr: obligations; on
the one hand to the peoples of the isthmus.
and on the other hand to the civilized world
whose. commercial ri gifts We are safe
We have done our duty to others in letter
and spirit, and we have shown the utmost
forbearance in exacting our own rights.
COlOmbia's Reputation of Treaty.
Last spring, under the act above re-
Representatives Of the Republic of Colon
by the senate This treaty was entered
into at the urgent solicitation Of the peo-
pie of Colombia and after body of ex-
perts appointed by our government es-
pecially to go, into the matter of the
routes across the isthmus had pro-
Panama route. In drawing up this treaty
every concession was made to the people
and to the government of Colombia We
We're more than just in: dealing with
make it a serious question whether we
had not gone too far in their in
terest at the expense of our own: for in
our scrupulous desire to pay all possible
heed. not merely to the real but even to
the fancied rights of our weaker neigh
Dor, who already owed SO much to our
protection and forbearance, we yielded
in all possible ways to her desires in
drawing up the treaty Nevertheless the
government of Colombia. not merely
repndiated the treaty, but repudiated it
in such manner as to make 1t evident by
the time the Colombian congress ad-
iolrned that not the scantiest hope re-
manned of ever getting a. satisfactory
Treaty from them. Tie government OF
Colombia made the TREATY and yet when
tfe. Colombian congress was called to
ratify it the vote against ratification was
unanimous. 1t does not appear that the
government made any real effort to, Sc
cure ratification.
Revelation In Panama.
Immediately after the. adjournment of
the congress a revolution broke out In
Panama. The people. of Panama had
of Colombia, and they had been kept
quiet only by the prospect of the con-
clusion of the treaty, which was to, them
a matter of vital concern. When it be
came evident that the. treaty was hope
lessly.., lost. the people Of Panama ~rose
fired by a single man on the isthnrus in
the interest of the Colombian govern
ment. Not life was lest in the accom-
plishment of the revolution. The Colon
bian troops stationed on the fsthmus,
who had long been unpaid made COM
mon cause with the people of Panama,
and with astonishing unanin1fty the new
republic was started The duty. of the
United States in the premises was clear.
In strict accordance with the principles
in the Official documents above quoted,
the United States gave notice that 1t
would permit the landing of no expedi-
tionaEy force, the arrival Of which would