New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-05
TIE PANAMA SECESSION.

Serious. but not surprising nor comproInlsihS'
is the description 10 be given OF the uouDieS al
Panama A considerable party in thaI Colou-
him Staee has revolted against CoiomoEi'
adonted an act Of secession and proclalheu IN
in5enendent republic The Colombian Govern
mont has r,sDonded with energetic attempt
10 s,r,nress the rebellion, and accordingly CIVIL
war of the South American type is raging Oh
the istbulus Freedom of transit on the lsthmus
* Tins inperIled, and the United States IN ful-
flment of its treaty rights and oollSauohs' Is
sending forces thither for the protection of
American property and the maintenance OF
transit That is a serious situation.
Il is no,. surprising. because Panama has long
beon threatening some such thing in case Of
contingency such as has recently been realized
Panama wants an isthmian canal Her future
prosperity, depends upon getting it. Many Of
ber Ieadinr men have therefore threatened that
II Colombia would not make the treaties Deces-
sarv for securing a canal that State would
secede become independent and then itself
make the treaties 4 short time ago Colombia
deliberately rejected a notably advantageous
offer for the construction of the canal, and there
seemed danger that that would prove TO have
been her last schance, and that the canal would,
because of that rejection, be cut elsewhere. That
made the Panama people desperate, hence the
present outbreak.
But il is not compromising TO the United
States This country's record is. we believe en-
tirely clear 1t has not melted encouraged or
assisted The secession movement az Panama. 1t
has had no negotiations with the secessionists
Nor is it supposable that this country will in
any respect identify itself with them In send
ing a force 10 the scene it is doing only what
it has done before on several occasions, in ac-
IT T-y,Io &1,1+
treaty Colombia guarantees to the United States
that transit across the isthmus shall be open
and free. and the United States guarantees to
Colombia the neutrality of the isthmus and the
maintenance Of her sovereign rights over it.
with view that freedom Of transit may not
be interrupted. The United States therefore is
not only bound TO protect the isthmus from for
eign conquest but it IS also privileged to inter
yene for the maintenance of open and free tran
sit whenever such transit is interrupted or ia
perilled by domestic broils That has been the
consistent American policy, and it will doubt
/ less be maintained.
The United States, it is TO be observed, does
/ not guarantee Colombia against domestic re-
/ volt, nor against changes of government. It
! has nothing to do with such things. 1t viii not
help Colombia against the rebels, nor the rebels
! against Colombia. 1t VIII simply see TO 1t that
neither party violates the treaty rights or this
country by blocking isthmian transit in any
/ way. Colombia must deal with her domestic
outbreaks herself subject to such limitations Of
action as American treaty rights impose. When
! she has done So and when the trouble on the
isthmus is settled satisfactorily one way or the
other the United States will be open to re-
newed proposals concerning the canal, provided
II has not by that time grown tired of waiting
on Colombian caprices and decided to build the
! canal elsewhere.