Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-01
PANAMA TREATY IN DANGER
Much Opposition TO the Document il
Threatened in Senate
MORGAN IS IN DOUBT OF LEGALITY
Amendments Are 90 re Omercd to
Nearly Every section Of Treaty
and Delay in Ratification
IL Inevitable. ,

To-Day, the participants being the president,
Secretary Hay and Senator Cullom, chair
man Of the foreign relations committee of
the senate.
The subject under discussion was the
status of the Panama canal. The situation
with regard to the treaty as it has devel-
oped in the senate is giving the administra-
ton and its supporters grave concern. The
president is exceedingly anxious that the
treaty should be ratified at the earliest pos
sible moment, yet the indications now are
that serious distractions may be placed in
the way Of ratification.
The conference held today was with a
view of ascertalning II possible what could
be done to hasten consideration of the
treaty by the senate. An effort is to be
made to get the treaty out of committee
with a favorable report. That the effort
will be successful is reasonably certain,
but then its troubles in the present view
of the matter will only have begun.
Senator Morgan, chairman of the commit
tee on interoceanic canals, takes the
ground that the negotiations conducted by
the State department with Mr.. Herran, rep
resenting Colombia, are not valid, as he
holds that Mr.. Herran did not possess the
necessary authority to make a treaty bind
ing upon his country, and it is understood
he will use his utmost efforts to defeat the
treaty in it's present form.
To Oner Amendments.
Indeed, the information has reached the
president that when the treaty is called up
for consideration in the senate amend
ments will be offered to almost every Sec
ton of It,
Such action, It is well understood, will
eorfo,e1v lc1,- g,at .atgan ,,,on IL $50,
IL It should not result in the defeat OF It's
ratification. 1t is stated definitely that any
amendment to the treaty would com
promise the entire canal project, as the
government of Colombia might hesitate to
accept amendments made to It. particularly
IL they involved essential details or prin-
ciples.
During the conference today the situation
was considered carefully, but what decision,
IL any, was reached could not be ascer-
tanned. 1t Is known only that an earnest
effort is to be made in the senate to secure
ratification of the treaty at the present ses-
sion, but the method Of procedure is not
disclosed.
While the treaty will not fail even II 1t
should not be ratified at this session, the
officials fear hat the delay which would
result from failure of the senate to take
final action might involve serious conse-
quences.
The senate committee on foreign rela-
tions again today discussed the Panama
canal treaty.
The discussion was based entirely upon
the amendments TO the treaty which we're
offered yesterday by Senator Morgan and
his resolution directing ar inquiry into
the credentials OF Senior Herran, who ne
z1tfaNnl a. N-noNy ~ Tho ~arN 80 r1IA-.
bia, was voted down.
VIII Rush Guns Forward.
The three-shift system, by which work
will be kept up day and night, will be in
augureted in the gun carriage shop at the
Washington navy yards on Monday. This
step is taken to expedite the work, orders
for which were given over two years ago.
Mrs. Roosevelt Gives Musicale.
An informal musicale was given at the
White House this afternoon, at which Nine.
Roget Miclos. the pianist, played for Mrs.
Roosevelt and a few personal friends who
had been invited to hear her. Mrs. Roose-
welt will have musicales at the White
House on the evening of February 10, the
afternoon of February 20 and the evening
of February "a.
Would COnfiscate Private Fortunes.
Senator Wellington today introduced an
amendment TO the constitution prohibiting
the holding of a fortune exceeding $40, OOO,-
600 by any individual in the United States.
ANY excess is TO be condemned as a pub
lie nuisance, a public folly or a public
peril and be accordingly forfeited to the
United States treasury"
President Makes Nominations.
The president today sent the following
nominations to the senate:
Assistant treasurers Of the United States:
William S. Leib. Philadelphia; George A.
Marden. Boston.
Consul: William H. Bishop, Connecticut,
at Genoa, Italy.
Navy: Ransom E. Riggs, South Carolina,
to be assistant surgeon; Commander C. C.
Cornwall, to be captain.
Pay inspectors S. r. Calhoun and John
N. Speel, to be pay directors.
Midshipmen, to be assistant naval con-
structors: J. A. Furer, William B. Fo-
garty, S. NJ. Henry and L. B. Mcbride,
Statehood Bill as Rider.
The senate committee on agriculture to-
day agreed to place the omnibus statehood
bill on the agricultural appropriation bill
as a rider.
TIL proposition was strongly antago-
nized, but it carried by n two-thirds vote,
Senators Hansbrough, Foster CWash.) and
Quay, republicans, and Bate, Heitfeld and
Simmons, democrats, voting in the afRrma-
tive.
Senators Proctor, Dolliver and Quarlos,
republicans, voted in the negative.
Senators Warren and Money we're absent
and were not recorded. It was stated, how
ever, that Senator Money would vote for
the amendment If present.
Mistakes I'm boundary Treaty.
At the request Of Secretary Hay the SEN
ate. in executive session, today returned
the Alaskan boundary treaty TO the presi-
dent for the correction of two clerical
errors. One Of these is in the matter OF
the title Of King Edward and the Other
consists of the description in the preamble
of the tribunal created by the treaty as a
tribunal Of arbitration, whereas, owing to
the fact that there is no umpire, it is not
so regarded. Meantime the favorable re-
port made by the committee on foreign re-
lations stands sud it will net be neces-