The Springfield herald., 1903-12-11

| ratifica tlon of the canal treaty as signed.
or II the Government Of the United
| States prefers will call extra session OF
| the Congress-with new and friendly
| members-next May to approve the
! treaty. An eminent Colombianl has the
| perfect confidence of vice-president. he
| saws and II 1t became necessary will go
| 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
| standpoints. Its offer of Immediately
| guaranteeing the treaty to us is in sharp
| contrast with the positive and contemp-
| tuous refusal of the Congress which has
| lust closed It's sessions to consider ia
| yorably such a treaty; 1t shows that the
| Government which made the treaty really
| had absolute control over the situation.
| but did not choose to exercise this cor
| troll The dispatch further calls on 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 lsthmus.
| 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 1sthmus of Panama mas
| become OF transcendent Importance to
| the United States We have repeatedly
| exercised ;his control by Intervening In
| the course OF domestic dissensicn. ana
| by protecting the territory from foreign
|
| 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 visilant
| to avail itself of Its privileges conferred
| by the treaty. expressed Its expectation
| that in the event of war 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 basis or
| more or less important demands. 1t was
said by Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the Depart
meht of State had reason to believe that
| an attack upon Colombian sovereignty
on the isthmus had. on several occa-
sions. been averted by warning from this
| Government. In 1856. when Colombia was
| under the menace of hostilities from
Italy in the Cerruti case Mr.. Bayard ex-
pressed the serious concern that tho
| United States could not but feel, that
| European power should resort to force
against sister republic of this hemis-
| phere. as to the sovereign and uninter-
rupted of part of whose territory
| we are glarantors under the solemn faith
| Of treaty.
The above recital OF facts establishes
beyond question: First. that the United
States has for over half century pa
tiently and in good faith carried out its
obligations under the treaty of 1916: Sec
ond. that when for the first time 1t be-
| came possible for Colombia to do any
| thing in requital OF the services thus re-
| peatedly rendered to 1t for fifty y-seven
| years by the United States. the Colombian
Government peremptorily and extensively
refused thus to do its part even though
to do so would have been to its udvan-
tage and immeasurably 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
ha,y nft other
| 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
| of abating have tended to grow more nu-
| merous and more serious In the imme
| date past: fifth. that the control OF CO.
| lombia over the Isthmus OF Panama could
| not be maintained without the armed in
| tervention and assistance of the United
| States. In other words. the Government
| of Colombia. though wholly unable to
| maintain order on the isthmus. has new
| ertheess declined to ratify treaty the
| conclusion OF which opened the only
| chance to secure Its own stability and to
| guarantee permanent peace on. and the
construction OF canal across. the 18TH
| mus.
| Under such circumstances the Govern
| ment of the United States would have
been guilty OF folly and weakness.
| against the nation. had 1t 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
| mental impotence or to the even more
sinister and evil political pecularities. of
| people who though they dwell afar of.
| yet. against the wish OF the actual dwell
| lers the isthmus, assert unreal
| supremacy over the territory. The pos
session of territory fraught with such
peculiar capacities as the isthmus in
question carries with 1t obligations to
mankind. The course OF events has
shown that this canal can not be built
by private enterprise. or by any other ma
tion than our own: therefore it must be
| built by the United States
| Treaty With Republic Of Panama.
Every effort has been made by the Cow
| ernment 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 wel-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 condition of
| affairs which had become intolerable.
| The new Republic OF Panama Immediate
| ly offered to negotiate a treaty with us.
| This treaty herewith submit. By 1t our
| interests are better safeguarded than in
| the treaty with Colombia which was rati-
| fed by the Senate at It's last session. 1t Is
| better in its terms than the treaties Of
| fered to us 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 It's part and forthwith this
| Republic will enter upon the execution
| of project colossal in its size and of
| wellnig-. incalculable possibilities for the
good OF this country and the nations of
| ma nkind
Provisions Of Treaty.
By the provisions OF the treaty the
| United States guarantees and will main
tain the independence OF the Republic OF
| Panama. There is granted to the United
| States in perpetuity the use. occupation.
| and control of a strip ten miles wide and
| extending three nautical miles into the
sea at either terminal, with all lands ly-
| Ing outside OF the zone necessary for the
| construction of the canal or for its aux
| iary works. and with the islands in the
p1t . Do, ,Itt Of Ipu,,