The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-08

postponed, Such a base IS desirable n
time Of peace in time OF war IT. " u,
rlinous. Without II our fleet would be
helpless. Our naval. experts are / q greed
the p sqps fe at Yiit re-
de e'i ls t OF naval station at subig
the best D - c5ondiiions It is a work which
will consume much h, Il tine ne, .,,o,,ar t,,,t
staff on lines similar to those Of the gen
eral staff lately created for TIE ne !. army ny:
Whn thg Nary
n system under which the duties OF, q
general staff are partially performed. FOR
thH nprea the war Goiege tho Once
Naval Intelligence and the Board Of IN n.
spection. and has been. In close touch
But But though 1u under the excellent officers
!, at their head these boards und bureaus tiinn
DO good !, have not @ the a. ausmfp
Client scope to insure proper readiness
for emergencies. we need the ESTABLISH
ment by law Of body Of trained ot nSfra
OF tho military affairs Of the navy and DC
authorlzed advisers OF tho Secretary 'tiy con-
corning It.
The Panama Matter.
Perhaps the most interesting part Of
the message Is that relating to tho 18th
mus Of Panama, and recent events there,
This subject comes last In the message
and is treated at length. On this point he
says: &
BY the act OF June %. 1902 the Congress
authorized the President to enter, into
treaty with Colombia for tho building
Of tia canal across tho lsthmus OF Pana,-
M %a u ne'n e secure su s Treaty. ate
the lapse of reasonable time. recourse
should be had to building q canal through
to consider this alternative, as am oil-
i provIding for tic building % the canal
TIE the o Route to- WHICH Commended Itself to tho
deliberate Judgment OF the Congress, nll4
We can now acquire by treaty th the r rsnt
The question now, therefore, is not by
which route tho isthmian canal shall 20
h bu e 5ab5 TR Re0 question Is
simply whether or not we shall have an
lsthmlnn canal, IA =
sbou n9n t tha the isana ot route under
treaty with Colombia. the essence OF lhe
condition, Of course, referred not 10 the
but 10 the route itself; to tho territory
across which the route lay. not to the
name which, for the moment the nol terri
the law was to authorize tho President
actual control or the lStnmuS OF Ianaul'''
This purpose has been fulfilled.
Transit Across 1sthmus.
In the year 1916 this government on
tered into treaty with New Granada,
the predecessor upon tho isthmus or tho
republic OF Colombia and Of the present
republic OF Panama, by which treaty "
was provided that tho government ana
citizens Of the United States should A.
ways have free and open right Of way or
transit across the Isthmus OF Panama hy
any modes or communication that might
be constructed, while ~ return our g,ntv--
crnment guaranteed the perfect neutrality
Of tile above mentioned lsthmus, Win
the view that tho free transit from tho
ono 10 tho other sea might not 20 inter-
rupted or embarrassed, Tho treaty vest,
property right, carved out Of ne rights ,
Of Sovereignty and property. which New
Granada then had and possessed oyer tho (,
said territory. The name OF New Glana-
tla has passed away and It's territory mas
been divided. It's successor, no govern
ment OF Colombia has ceased to own any
property IN the isthmus 4 new republic,
4 Sovereign State, and at another time
Colombia, has now succeeded TO The rights
Which first one and then the other for
mcrly exercised eyer the lsthulls. But
rs long as tho isthmns endures the mere |
geographical fact Of rs existence and tho
nH nsstfs perpetnns the SOLEMN
Contract which binds the, holders. of the
Of transit ACROSS II, and binds us in re-
turn to safeguard for the isthmus and |
tho world the exercise 81 that inestima pic