Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-12-12

20 enter into treaty with Colombia
for the building of the canal across the
lsthmus of Panama: it being provided
that in the event of failure to secure
such treaty after the lapse of Il reason
able time, recourse should be had to
building canal through Nicaragua.
1t has not been necessary to consider
this alternative. as l am enabled to
lay before the Senate treaty prOvid-
ing for the building of the canal across
the ISthmus of Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the
deliberate 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 Isthmian Canal
shall be built. for that question has
been definitely and irrevocably de-
cided. The question is simply whether
or not we shall have 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 iself; 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 au-
thOrize the President to make 4 treaty
with the power in actual control OF
the Isthmus of Panama. This purpose
has been fulfilled"
A number of paragraphs of the mes
sage are devoted to Il review Of our
efforts to secure treaty rights for the
building of an Isthmian canal. and
many matters touching upon the sub
ject are cited.
REPUDIATION OF TREATY.
Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred to, a treaty concluded between
fhe representatives of the Republic Of
Colombia and of our Government was
ratified by the Senate. This treaty was
entered into at the urgent solicitation
of the people of Colombia, and after a
body of experts appointed by our Gov
eminent especially to go into the mat
ter of the routes across the lSthmus
had pronounced unanimously in favor
Of the Panama route. In drawing up
this treaty every concession was made
to the people and to the Government
Of Colombia, and vet when the Colom-
bian Congress was called to ratify it
the vote against ratification was unan-
imous. 1t does not appear that the
Government made any real effort to Sc
cure ratification. The control. in the
interest of the commerce and traffic of
the whole civilized world. of the means
of undisturbed transit across the 18th
mus of Panama has become of trans
cendent 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 conclusion it is argued that this
country would have been recreant to
it's solemn duty to have delayed longer
in availing itself of the offered Oppor-
tunity to secure rights and franchises
sufficient to guarantee its immediate
entrance upon the important work OF
canal construction.
PROVISIONSO OF PANAMA TREATY.
BY the provisions of the treaty the
United States guarantees and will
maintain the independence of the Re-
public of Panama. There is granted
to the United States in perpetuity the
use, occupation and control of q strip
ten miles wide and extending three
nautical miles into the sea at either
terminal, with al! lands lying outside
of the zone necessary for the construc-
ton of the canal or for it's auxiliary
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 sanitation, and in case of need the
maintenance of order within the
granted limits all the rights. power
and authority which it would possess
were it the sovereign of the territory
to the exclusion Of the exercise of SOW
ereign rights by the republic. All rail-
way and canal property rights belong
ing to Panama and needed for the
canal pass to the United States. includ-
ing any properties Of the respective
companies in the cities of Panama and
Colon: the works, property and person.
mel of the canal and railways afre eX-
empted from taxation as we'll in the
cities of Panama and Colon as III the
canal zone and its dependencies. Free
immigration of the personnel and i'm
portation of supplies for the construc-
ton and operation Of the canal are
granted. Provision is made for the use
of military force and the building of
Notifications by the United States for
the protection of the transit. In other
details, particularly as to the acQuisi.
ton of the interests of the New Pana.
ma Canal Company and the Panama
Railway by the United States and the
condemnation of private property for
the uses of the canal. the stipulations
nf tho Hay.Herran treaty are closely
followed. while the compensation to be
given for these enlarged grants re.
mains the same. being $10.O00,00O, pay
able on exchange of notifications, and,
beginning nine years from that date,
an annual payment of $250,000 during
the life of the convention.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
White House. December Z. 1908.