Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-22
No More Panama Negotiations.

Today expires the time named in the
protocols for the exchange of Publications
of the -Herran canal treaty between
Colombia and the United States. Certain
representations 1t is reported. have been
made to this government looking to an ex-
tension of the time. but the details are not
published 1t is a safe inference that one
party of the Colombians will try to prolong
the life of the Panama proposition by offer
ing more or less tempting chances for the
negotiation of a treaty. Already there Is
tall, of a treaty which will not increase the
money cost to the United States. But there
can be no guarantee that treaty nego-
tiated under the legislative proposition
which is now in process of enactment Will
be at all satisfactory to this country, even
ii it can muster votes for final ratification
in Colombia.
Hints are likewise thrown out that
change of administration, in favor of such
a treaty as the United States desires, Is i'm
minent in Colombia. 1t is difficult to under
stand this bait President Marroquin is one
of the best friends of the Hay-Herran
treaty in all Colombia. Reyes, If chosen to
succeed him, might possibly manipulate the
congress to a more satisfactory conclusion,
but the assurance is slight. Nor can Colom-
bia hold out hope of the election of con-
.,ress inclined to yield the degree of SOW
ereignty over the canal strip which this
country deems Indispensable.
Taken altogether, the Colombian negotia-
tons appear about as futile as possible ana
any extension of time would be wasteful
and fruitless. The whole case of the Pana-
ma route up to date must be viewed In or
der to determine whether Colombia has or
has not been reasonable. in the terms OF
the act of Congress In the first place there
was long delay on the part of the Colom-
bian minister at this capital, who fairly re-
fused to negotiate a treaty with the Secre-
tary of State Some months We're thus
wasted solely through the obsunacy and
procrastnation of that parsonage. When he
was succeeded by DR.. Herran change for
the better occurred and the Hay-Herran
treaty was negotiated in such short order
as to emphasize the delay which had pre-
coded. Colombia acted with entire pro-
priety in the matter of the preliminaries to
ratification, ordering a special congressional
election and an extra session or the con-
gress so elected, and making dignilied haste
toward the final consideration of the
treaty. but ratification was refused and the
treaty fell to the ground. Now come alter
native proposals from Bogota. which. as
far as they are described are entirely I'M
satisfactory.
Considering, therefore, the original delay
in the negotiations and the ultimate rejec-
ton of the treaty, further contemplation Of
the Panama route under the statute is I'M
warranted. The country expects the Presi-
dent to act with reasonable promptness in
declaring that the dealings with Colombia
are definitely closed, in order that negotia-
tons with Nicaragua and Costa Rica may
be begun.
The American people demand an isthmian
canal Come prefer Panama 10 Nicaragua
others prefer Nicaragua to Panama. But
excluding the transcontinental railway in
terests the nation is practically unanimous
in favor of either Nicaragua or Panama in
preference to no canal at all.