The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-12-11

craftsmanship 10 being steadily raised
but the highest duty OF nava. officer ID
to exercise command At sea
IL y emnently desirable. however. that
there should be provided a naval general
stan on lines similar 10 those OF the general
stan lately creai>d for the army. Within
the navy department. itself the needs OF
under which the duties OF general stan
| are partially performed. for the bureau OF
navigation has under its direction the war
| college the ONCE OF naval intelligence and
the board OF inspection. and has been In
close touch with the general board or the
navy. But though under the excellent on
cersat their head. these boards and bareaus
| do good work. they have not the auth ority
OF "A general stan. and have not sufficie nj
scope 70 insure a proper readiness for
emergencies. We need the establishment
by law OF a body OF trained Officers. who
| shall exercise systematic control OF the
military anairs OF the navy, and be author
'xe1 ADVISERS or the secretary concerning Il.
The Isthmian Canal.
BY the act OF June IS. 1909. the congress
authorized the president to enter into
treaty with Colombia for the building OF
the canal across the Isthmus of Panama:
II being provided that in the event OF
failure to secure such treaty after the
lapse OF reasonable time. recourse
should I've had 10 building a canal through
consider this alternative. as ! am enabled
| 10 lay before the senate treaty provid-
/ Ing for the building OF the canal across
the lsthmus OF Panama This was the
route which commended itself TO the de-
\ liberate 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 isthrnian canal shall be
built. for that question has been definite
~ and irrevocably decided The question
4 SimDIN m a
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 controlled 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
was TO authorize the president to make
treaty with the power in actual con-
troll OF the Isthmus OF Panama This
purpose has been fulfilled.
Isthnlian Treaty obligations.
In the year 1886 this government en-
tered into a treaty with New Granada
Republic of Colombia and of the present
Republic OF Panama. by which treaty II
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 a substantial
property right carved out OF the rights OF
sovereignty ard property which New
Granada Their. had and possessed over the
said territory. The name OF New Gran
ada has passed away and its territory
has been divided. Its successor. the gov
49, sgraf s.s sr41. - Il
any property in the isthmus. new
republic. that OF Panama. which was at
one time sovereign state. and at an
other time a mere department OF the sue
cessive considerations known as New
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-
dures the mere geographical fact of its
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 70 freedom of transit
across IT. and binds US in return TO safe
! guard for the isthmus and the world the
exercise of that inestimable privilege
/ The true Interpretation OF the obligations
upon which the United States entered in
this treaty OF 1si6 has been given repeat
ediy in the utterances of presidents and
secretaries Of state
For 400 years. ever since shorty after the
| discovery Of this hemisphere, the canal
across the isthmus has been planned For
| twoscore years IL has been worked. ai.
| When made IL Is to last for the ages. II Is
the trade routes OF the world We have
shown by every treaty we have negotiated
or attempted TO negotiate with the peoples
in control OF the lsthmus and with foreign
nations in reference the reto our consistent
good faith in observing our obligations: on
the one hand 10 the peoples Of the isthmus,
and on the other hand TO the civilized world
whose commercial rights We are safe
guarding and guaranteeing by our action.
We have done our duty TO others In letter
and spirit. and we have shown the utmost
forbeararce In exacting our own rights.
COlombia's Repudia tlon Of Treaty.
Last spring. under the act above re-
ferred 10. treaty concluded between the
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 a body OF ex-
pecially 10 go INTO the matter Of the
routes across the isthmus had pro-
rounced unanimously In favor OF
every concession was made to ,he people
and to the government OF Colombia We
were more than just IN dealing with
them. Our generosity was such as TO
make IL serious question whether we
had not gone too far in their in
tcrest 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
repudiated the treaty. but regulated Il
in such manner as 10 make II evident by
the time the Colombian congress ad-
Journed that not the scantiest hope re-
manned OF ever getting satisfactory
treaty from them. The government OF
Colombia made the treaty. and yet when
the Colombian congress was called TO
ratify II the vote against ratification was
unanimous. II does not appear that the
government made any real effort to se-
cure ratification.
Revelation IN PAnana.
Immediately after the adjournment OF
the congress a revolution broke out in
Panama. The people of Panama had
long been Disconnected with the Republic
Of Colombia. and they had been kept
quiet only by the prospect OF the con-
clusion OF the treaty. which was 10 them
a matter OF vital concern. When II be.
came evident that the treaty was hope
lessly lost. the people OF Panama rose
literally as one man. Not shot was
fired by a single man on the isthmus IN
the interest of the Colombian govern
ment Not a life was lost in the accom-
plishment OF the revolution. The CoIon-
bian troops stationed on the isthmus
who had long been unpaid, made COM
mon cause with the people OF Panama,
and with astonishing unanmily the new
republic was started. The duty OF the
United states IN tho premises was clear