Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1903-12-12

to the, isthmus or send representative !
there TO adjust matters along above lines
to the satisfaction of the people there"
This dispatch is noteworthy from two
standpoirts- Its offer of Immediately
guaranteeing the treaty to US is in sharp
contrast with the positi+e ana conte-np-
tuous refusal of the Congress which has
Just clored its sessions to consider f2-
Norably such treaty; it shows that the
Government which made the treaty really
had absolute control over the situation.
but did not choose to exercise this con-
troll The dispatch further calls US
10 restore order and secure Colombian
supremacy in the isthmus from which the
Colombian Government has just by its
action decided to bar US by preventing
the construction of the canal
Importance OF Peace in Ictnmus.
The control, in the interest Of the COM
merce and traffic of the whole civilized
world of the means OF undisturbed tran
sit across the Isthmus of Panama has
become OF transcendent importance to
the United States, We have repeatedly
exercised This control by intervening in
the course of domestic dissension. and
by protecting the territory from foreign
invasion. IN 1853 Mr.. Everett assured
the Peruvian minister that we should
not hesitate to maintain the neutrality
of the isthmUs in the case of war be-
tween Peru and Colombia. In 1864 CO.
lombia. which has always been vigilant
to avail itself of its privileges conferred
by the treaty. expressed its expectation
that in the event of between Peru
and Spain the United States would carry
into effect the guaranty Of neutrality.
There have been few administrations of
the State Department in which this
treaty has not, either by the one side
or the other, been used as a basis OF
more or less important demands 1t was
said by Mr.. Fish in ISL that the Depart
ment OF State had reason to believe that
an attack upon Colombian sovereignty
the isthmus had, on several occa-
sions. been aVerted by warning from this
Government In 1886, when Colombia was
under the menace OF hostilities from
Italy in the Cerruti case. Mr.. Bayard eX-
pressed the serious concern that the
United States could not but feel, that
European power should resort to force
against a sister republic of this hemis-
phere as 10 the sovereign and uninter-
rupted use of part OF whose territory
we are guarantors under the solemn faith
Of \ treaty
The above recital OF facts establishes
beyond question: First that the United
States has for over half a century pa
tiently and in good faith carried out it's
obligations under the treaty of 1S46; sec
ond. that when for the first time 1t be-
came possible for Colombia TO do any
thing In reQuital OF the services thus
peatedly rendered to 1t for fifty-seVen
years by the United States, the Colombian
Government peremFtorily and extensively
refused thus to do its part, even though
to do would have been to its advan-
tage and UNNECESSARILY to the advantage
of the State of Panama at that time
under its jurisdiction: third. that
throughout this period revolutions. riots.
and factional disturbances of every kind
have occurred one after the other in al
most uninterrupted succession. some OF
| them lasting for months and even for
| years, while the central government was
unable to put them down or to make
peace with the rebels; fourth. that these
disturbances instead Of showing any sign
% hot Hv-rr a@14
| merous and more serious in the imme-
| date past; fifth. that the control Of Co
! lombia over the 1sthnus of Panama could
! not be maintained without the armed in
| terveption and assistance of the United
| States. In other words. the Government
! of Colombia, though wholly unable to
| maintain order on the isthmus, has new
| ertheless declined to atty treaty the
conclusion OF which opened the only
| chance to secure its own stability and to
| guarantee permanent peace on, and the
| construction OF a canal across, the 18TH
| mus
ment of the United States would have
| been guilty of folly and weakness,
amounting in their to crime
| against the nation. had it acted otherwise
| than it did when the revolution of Nov. 3
| last took place in Panama. This great
! enterprise of building the interoceanic
| canal can not be held up to crafty the
whims. or out of respect to the govern
/
sinister and ev1 political peculiarities, Of
| people who, though they dwell afar of.
yet, against the wish Of the actual dwell
| lers on the isthmus. assert unreal
| supremacy over the territory. The pos
| session OF territory fraught with such
| peculiar capacities the isthmus In
| question carries with it obligations to
mankind. The course of events has
| shown that this canal can not be built
by private enterprise. or by any other ma
ton than our own; therefore it must be
| built by the United States.
Treaty With Republic of Panama.
Every effort has been made by the Gov
eminent of the United States to persuade
| Colombia to follow course which was
essentially not only to our interests and
to the interests of the world, but to the
| interests of Colombia itself. These ef-
| forts have failed; and Colombia. by her
persistence in repulsing the advances that
| have been made. has forced US. for the
sake OF our own honor. and of the inter-
est and well-being, not merely OF our own
people, but of the people of the Isthmus
| of Panama and the people OF the civilized
| countries of the world. to take decisive
steps to bring to an end a condition Of
affairs which had become intolerable.
The new Republic of Panama immediate
| ly offered to negotiate a treaty with US.
This treaty I herewith submit. BY it our
! interests are better safeguarded than in
| the treaty with Colombia which was rati-
| fed by the Senate at its last session. 1t is
| fered to by the Republics of Nicara-
| qua and Costa Rica. At last the right
| to begin this great undertaking is made
| available. Panama has done her part.
| All that remains is for the American Con-
! gress to do its part and forthwith this
Republic will enter upon the execution
of q project colossal in its size and of
well-nig-- incalculable poSs Utilities for the
good of this country and the nations Of
mankind.
Provisions of Treaty.
By the provisions of the treaty the
United States guarantees and VIII main
tain the Independence of the Republic OF
Panama. There is granted to the United
States in perpetuity the use. occupation.
and control of strip ten miles wide and
extending three nautical miles into the
sea at either terminal. with all lands ly
ing outside of the zGne necessary for the
construction of the canal for its
Hilary works. and with the islands in the
Bay of Panama The cities of Panama
and Colon are not embraced in the canal
zone but the United States assumes
their santa ton and. in case OF need. the
maintenance of order therein; the United
States enjoys within the granted limits
all the rights, power, and authority which
il would possess were II the sovereign OF
the territory to the exclusion of the ex-
ercise of sovereign rights by the Republic.
All railway and canal property rights be-
longing TO Panama and needed for the
canal pass to the United States. irclud-
ing any property OF the respective COM