Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-10

share in the benefit. The government
should as soon as possible secure suit
able permanent camp sites for military
maneuvcrs in the various sections of
the country.
l heartily congratulate the congress
upon the steady progress in building
up the American navy. We cannot
afford let-up in this great work. To
stand still means to go back. There
should be no cessation in adding to the
effective units of the fighting strength
Of the fleet. Meanwhile the navy de-
partment and the officers of the navy
are doing well their part by providing
constant service at sea under condi-
tons akin to those Of actual warfare.
Our officers and enlisted men are learn
ing to handle the battleships. cruisers
and torpedo boats with high efficiency
in fleet and squadron formations. and
the standard Of craftsmanship is being
steadily raised. The best work ashore
IS Indispensable. but the highest duty
of a naval officer Is to exercise COM
mand at sea. 1t Is eminently desirable
that a naval general staff should be
established
Isthmian Canal.
BY the act of June %, 1902, the con-
grcss authorized the president to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the
building of the canal across the 18TH
mus Of Panama, it being provided that
| in the event of failure to secure such
treaty after the lapse of n reasonable
time recourse should be had to build
| ing canal through Nicaragua. 1t has
not been necessary to consider this al
| tentative, rs am enabled to lay be-
| fore the senate treaty providing 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, Ia
not by which route the isthmian canal
shall be built. for that question has
been definitely and irrevocably decid-
ed. The question is simply whether or
|
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 itself; to the
territory across which the route lay,
aot to the name which for the moment
the territory bore on the map. The
purpose of the law was to authorize
the president TO make a treaty with the
power in actual control of the isthmus
Of Panama. This purpose has been
fulfilled
For 400 years ever since shortly after
the discovery of this hemisphere, the
canal across the isthmus has been
planned. For twoscore years IT has
been worked at When made ii IS TO
last for the ages 1t is TO alter the
geography of continent and the trade
routes of the world. We have shown
by every treaty we have negotiated or
attempted To negotiate with the peo-
pies in control Of the isthmus and with
foreign nations in reference thereto our
| SOotl luItIl III OLStIN lIlS puI
obligations. on the one hand to the peo-
pies Of the isthmus and on the other
hand to the civilized world. whose com
mercial rights we are safeguarding and
guaranteeing by our action. We have
done our duty to others in letter and In
spirit and we have shown the utmost
forbearance in exacting our own rights
Reputation of Treaty by Colombia
Last spring treaty concluded be
tween the representatives of the re
public of Colombia and Of our govern
ment was ratified by the senate Thi:
treaty was entered into at the urgent
solicitation of the people of Colomhg
and after body Of experts appointed
by our government especially to 60 into
the matter Of the routes across the
lsthmus had pronounced unanimously
in favor Of the Panama route. In draw
Ing up this treaty every concession wa.
made to the people and to the govern
ment Of Colombia We were more
than Just in dealing with them. OuI
generosity was such as to make it
serious question whether we had no
gone too far in their interest at the eX
pense of our own. for in our scrupulou
desire to pay all possible heed no
merely to the real but even to til,
fancied rights of our weaker neighbor
who already owed so much TO our pro
lection and forbsarance. we yielded il
all possible ways TO her desires II
drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless
the government OF Colombia not mere
ly repudiated the treaty, but repudi
ated II in such manner as TO make /
evident by the time the Colombian con
gress adjourned that not the scanties
hope remained of ever getting salts
/ factory treaty from them.
: Revelation In Panama.
5 The people of Panama had long beer
Y discontinued with the republic OF Co
!. lombia, and they had been kept quie
only by the prospect OF the conclusion
0 OF the canal treaty. which was TO then
0 a matter of vital concern. When II be
came evident that the treaty was hope
/ lessly lost the people of Panama ros
! literally as one man. Not shot wa
fired by single man on the isthmu
in the interest of the Colombian gov
r eminent, Not life was lost in tn
accomplishment Of the revolution. TIL
Colombian troops stationed on the 18th
; mus, who had long been unpaid, mad
, | common On sp with the paopla oe On =,