Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-11-12

Washington, Nov 7.-Secretary
Hays statement regarding affairs on
the lsthmus was made public last
night.
The action Of the president in the
Panama matter is not only in strict
accordance with the principles of JUS
tlce and equity, and in line with all
the best precedents of our public pol
icy, but it was the only course he could
have taken in compliance with our
treaty rights and obligations" says Mr..
Hay. He then quotes from the treaty
a51c snc wing that New Granada guar
arteed that the right of way or transit
across the isthmus should be free and
open to the government and citizens OF
the United States, also that this was
given upon the guarantee OF the Unit
ed States to maintain the neutrality OF
the istnmus so that free transit might
not be interrupted or embarrassed in
any future time while this treaty ex.
lists" Secretary Hay also quotes from
the message of President Polk settling
henceforth the close connection be-
tween the two governments and point
ing out the advantages to the United
States trade likely to result from the
guarantees provided for in the treaty
THE control, in the interest of the
commerce and traffic of the whole civil
lied world, Of the means of undisturb-
ed transit across the isthmus of Pana-
ma" says the secretary, has become
of transcendent Importance to the
United States. The right to this con.
troll we have never forfeited by any
laxity OF our own either III assertion OF
our rights, or in performance Of our
duty under the treaty. The United
States has not only constantly pro-
tected Colombia from foreign invasion
on the strength of the rights and du-
ties created by the treaty of 1916, but
has time and again interviewed to pre-
serve the freedom of traffic from dls-
turbance in the course of domestic
dissentiOns. In these cases we have
interviewed sometimes at the sugges-
ton OF Colombia, sometimes on our
own impression of the necessities OF
the case but always to the profit OF
Colombia as well as OF universal com.
MERGE"
at is too clear fer discussion that
when at the repeated solicitation OF
the government of Colombia, a treaty
was entered into between that govern
ment and the United States for carry
ing into effect that long considered
plan OF q canal across the isthmus, to
be owned and controlled by the gov.
eminent of the United States, it was
no new proposition that was being
adopted but rather the carrying out OF
long cherished plan Of both couL-
tries and the assertion of the right
which had been long since conceded in
principle by the government of Colon
bia"
Hay here speaks of the congressional
authorization for building the canal,
the large bonus offered, the liberal
lease and numberless benefits that
would accrue to Colombia" The
treaty was promptly ratified by the
senate of the United States and reject
ed unanimously and without consider
alton by that of Colombia. The
president" he says, " directed our rep
resentative at Panama, as soon as he
was certain government capable OF
maintaining public peace had been es-
tablished by the consent of the people,
that he was to enter into official rela-
lions with it. He also directed our
minister in Bogcta to inform the Col
ombian government that we had en-
tered into relations with the new pro-
visional government of Panama"
mo palmer duty" he says, IVA;
ever imposed upon a chief of state
than that which resulted upon the
president of the United States in the
interest of the isthmus, the people OF
Colombia, the people of the United
States and the commerce of the world,
to preserve for the benefit of all the
free transit over the isthmus and to do
all that lay in his power to bring pei
manent peace to its people"
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