The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-11-19
THE CANAL MUSTBE DUG
President Says 1t is Demanded by
the Civilized World.
WILL SUBMIT TO NO THRILLING

Events On the lsthmus Compelled Mr.
Roosevelt to Rewrite That Part OF
His Message to Congress Touching
On Canal Negotiations.
Washington. Nov. 14.-For several
weeks President Roosevelt has had In
preparation his annual message to the
congress to be presented at the open
ing of the regular session on the first
Monday of December. That part of
the message I'm which the president
discussed the negotiations between tho
United States and the government OF
Colombia for an isthmian canal treaty
Il is stated was completed about two
weeks ago. Events which have Oc-
cured on the lsthmus and in this
country since that time have made II
necessary for the president completely
to rowrite that part of the message
touching the canal negotiations.
In the opening sentence of his dis
cussion of the negotiations with Co
lombia the president said:
81 regret to report that. contrary to
all expectations, the government of
the Republic OF Colombia refused TO
ratify the treaty for building a canal
across the Isthmus of Panama"
Then. after stating that the treaty
had been negotiated at the earnest re-
quest Of the government Of Colombia.
and subsequently was disapproyed by
the Colombian senate. the president
said that the powers exercised by the
United States under the treaty OF 1876
we're so large in the protection of
transit across the lsthmus that 1t some
times had been questioned whether II
was necessary now to obtain treaty
for the purpose Of building a canal
Continuing. he wrote: High author
tiles on international law hold that the
canal can be dug as an incident 10 OK
ercising the power 10 prevent the oh
struction Of traGic across the lsthmus.
Nevertheless. in accordance with our
settled policy OF behaving with scrupu-
lous fairness and generosity towards
our weaker sister republics of the
south. taking no position that can even
by Implication be treated rs unfrlendly.
unless literally forced thereto. We have
endeayorol TO provide for the building
OF the canal 10y treaty. In this treaty
We went as far as it Is possible for
MS 10 90 IN the dire tion Of making
concessions 10 the United States Of
Colombia. No further concessions can
or should be made by tbs govern
mont"
The president then stated that the
circumstances Of the canal case were
peculiar The canal said he. must be
due. II WIS demanded by the interests
Of this nation AMI by nose OF the CIV
iized world, "rcserying TO ourselves
merely the right to see that II shall
meyer he used to our military disad-
vantage.
"a private company which in the
past undertook TO build the canal has
failed. Tho events Of the last few
years warrant as IN now saying not
only that tnc canal shall not be con
atrucied by any foreign government
but that a. is not to be constructed
by any private company. II must,
therefore be- ding by the government
Of the United States"
Advcrting 10 that phrase OF the
Spooncr law which says that tho presi-
dent shall have reasonable time to d.
tormlnc MS between the Panama and
Nicaraguan routes. the president
wrote.
at seems evident that in a matter
such as this We should finally decide
which Is the best route; and If the adj
vantages Of this route over any other
possible route are sufficiently marked
We should then give notice that we
can no longer submit to trIIling or IN
sincere dealing on the part Of those
whom the accident Of position has
placed in temporary control OF the
ground through which the route must
pass: that n they will come 10 agree
ment with az IN STRAIGHTFORWARD fash
ion we shall in return act not only
with Justice. but with generosity. and
that il they fail to come to such
agreement with us. we must forthwith
take tho matter into our own hands