Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-12-15


zation. TO see that the peaceful traffic al
the world across the Isthmus of Panama
shall not longer be disturbed by a constant
succession OF unnecessary and wasteful
When these events happened, ffty-seyeu
years lad elapsed since the United States
had entered into its treaty with New
Gran,IdS. During that time the Govern
mems of New Granada and of its sue
cess3r, Colombia, have been in a constant
| state of aux. There have been revolu-
| tons, rebellions, Instructions, riots, and
other outbreaks, numbering 50 for the 81
years. Ii Is a fact that one of them lasted
Tor nearly three years before it was quell-
e.; another for nearly a year. In short.
| the experience of over half century has
shown Colombia to be utterly incapable of
keeping order on the Isthmus. Only the
| active Interference of the United States
| has enabled her to preserve so much as a
semblance of sovereignty. Had it not
! been for the exercise by the United States
| of the police power in her interest, her
| connection with the Isthmus would have
been sundered long ago. In 1856 in 1850,
In 1873, in 1885. in 1901, and again in 1902,
sailors and marines from United States
war ships were forced to land In order to
patrol the Isthmus, to protect life and
| property, and to see that the transit across
the lsthmus was kept Open In 1861, In
1885, and in 1900. the Colombian Govern
ment asked that the United States Govern
ment would land troops TO protect its in
| terests and maintain order the Isthmus.
|
Perhaps the most extraordinary request
/ Is that which has just been received and
which runs as follows:
knowing that revolution has already
commenced in Panama tan eminent Colon
| bian) says that if the Government of the
! United States will land troops to preserve
Colombian sovereignty. and the transit. IL
requested by Colombian charge d'affaires,
| this government will declare martial law:
and, by virtue of vested col stitutional
/ authority, when public order is disturbed
will approve by decree the ratification OF
the canal treaty as signed; or, if the Gov
| ernmeut OF the United States prefers, will
| call extra session of the Congress-with
! new and friendly members-next May TO
! approve the treaty. Can eminent Colon
pam mas the perfect confidence of vice
sary will go to the Isthmus send repre-
sentative there to adjust matters along
above lines to the satisfaction of the peo-
| pie there"
This dispatch Is noteworthy from two
| standpoints. Its offer of Immediately
guaranteeing the treaty to us is in sharp
contrast with the positive and contemptu-
Gus refusal of the Congress which has just
closed its sessions to consider favorably
such treaty; it shows that the govern
ment which made the treaty really had alb
Solute control over the situation, but did
not choose to exercise this control The
dispatch further calls on us to restore or
der and secure Colombian supremacy in the
Isthmus from which the Colombian Gov
bar us by preventing the construction of
the canal.
Control of Great Importance.
The control, in the interest of the COM
merce and traffic of the whole civilized
world, of the means OF undisturbed transit
across the Isthmus Of Panama has become
of transcendent Importance to the United
States. We have repeatedly exercised this
control by intervening in the course of do
nestle dIssension, and by protecting the
In
Mr.. Everett assured the Peruvian minister
that we should not hesitate to maintain
the neutrality of the Isthmus in the case
of war between Peru and Colombia In
1864 Colombia, which has always been vigi-
liant TO avail itself of its privileges con
ferred by the treaty, expressed its expec-
tatlon that In the event of war between
Peru and Spain the United States would
carry into effect the guaranty of neutrali-
ty. There have been few administrations
of the State Department In which this
treaty has not, either by the one side or
the other, been used as a basis of more
or less important demands. 1t was said
by Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the Department
of State had reason to believe that an at
tack upon Colombian sovereignty on the
Isthmus had, on several occasions, been
ayerted by warning from this government.
In 1886, when Colombia was under the
menace of hostilities from Italy in the
Cerruti case. Mr. Bayard expressed the Sc
rious concern that the United States could
not but feel that a European power should
resort to force against a sister republic of
this hemisphere, as to the sovereign and
uninterrupted use of a part of whose terri
tory we are guarantors under the solemn
faith of q treaty.
The above recital of facts establishes
beyond question; First, that the United
States has for over half century pa
tiently and in good faith carried out its OBJ
legations under the treaty of 1916; second,
that when for the first time 1t became pos
sible for Colombia to do anything in re-
tal Of no
dered to 1t for fifty-seven years by the
United States, the Colombian Government
peremptorily and Extensively refused thus
to do It's part, even though TO do so would
have been to its advantage and immeaSur-
ably to the advantage of the State of Pan
anna, at that time under its jurisdiction;
third, that throughout this period revolu-
lions, riots and factional disturbances OF
every kind have occurred one after the
other in almost uninterrupted succession,
some of them lasting for months and even
was unable to put them down to make
peace with the rebels fourth, that these
disturbances instead of showing any sign
of abating have tended to grow more nu-
merous and more serious in the Immediate
past fifth, that the control of Colombia
over the Isthmus of Panama could not be
maintained without the armed Intervention
and assistance of the United States. In
other words, the Government of Columbia,
though wholly unable to maintain order
on the Isthmus, has nevertheless declined
to ratify a treaty the conclusion of which
opened the only chance to secure its own
stability and to guarantee permanent peace
on, and the construction of canal across,
the Isthmus.
Under such circumstances the Govern
ment of the United States would have
been guilty of folly and weakness, amount
ing in their sum to crime against the ma
ton, had it acted otherwise than it did
when the revolution of Nov. last took
place ia PANAMA. This great enterprise
OF building the interoceanic canal cannot
be held up to crafty the whims, or out of
respect to the governmental impotence. or
to the even more sinister and evil political
peculiarities, of people who, though they
dwell afar off, against the wish of the
actual jewellers on the Isthmus. assert an
unreal supremacy over the territory. The
possession of territory fraught with such
peculiar capacities as the Isthmus in ques-
tion carries with 1t obligations to man.
kind. The course of events has shown that
this canal cannot be built by private enter
prise. or by any other nation than our
own; therefore it must be built by the
United States.
Must New Deal with Panama.
Every effort has been made by the Gov
eminent of the United States to persuade
Colombia to follow course which was
essentially not only to our interests and to
the world, but to the interests of Colombia
itself These efforts have failed; and Co
lombia, by her persistence In repulsing the
advances that have been made. has forced
us, for the sake of our own honor, and of
the interest and Yell-being, not merely OF
our own people, but Of the people of the
Isthmus of Panama and the people Of the
civilized countries Of the world to take de-
cisive steps to bring TO an end q condition
Of affairs which had become fntolerable
The new Republic Of PanSma immediate
ly offered TO negotiate d treaty with us
This treaty / herewith submit. By II our
interests are better safeguarded than In the
treaty with Colombia which was ratified by
the Senate at it's last session. 1t is better
in its terms than the treaties offered TO us
by the Republics Of Nicaragua and Costa
Rica At last the right TO begin this great
undertaking is made available. Panama has
done her part All that remains is for the
American Congress to do Its part and forth
with this Republic Will enter upon the
execution OF a project colossal In its size
and Of well-nigh incalculable possibilities
for the good Of this country and the ma
lions Of mankind.
By the provisions Of the treaty the United
States guarantees and VIII maintain the in
dependence Of the Republic Of Panama.
There is granted to the United States in
perpetuity the use, occupation. and control
Of a strip ten r.licS wide and extending
three nauticSI miles into the sea at either
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