The sun., 1903-12-16
DEFENDS OUR PANAMA ACTION
TRANCE MIGHT HAVE SEIZED
JSTHNUS, MIR. LOOMS SAYS.
Assistant Secretary Of state Points Out
the Danger Which Lay in Letting
the Colombian Government Tamper
With the Rights Of French Citizens.

the Danger Which Lay in Letting
the Colombian Government Tsmper
With the Rights Of French Citizens.
tbe Republic OF Panama to the United States,
And Francis b. Loomis, Assistant Sec
[etary OF State, were the guests Of honor
st dinner given by the Quill Club at the
Hotel Manhattan last night. Both Of
ton.
Minister Bunau- -Varilla said:
The real origin Of the Panama revolution
was back In 1901. when Martinez Silva ar
lived In Washington as the Colombian Min
i.,er. pledged to his countrymon to do all
in his power to urge the selection of the Pan
ANA route In preference to the Nicarguan.
He showed how the good intentions of the
Roeotn Government suddenly changed when
the victory of the Panama route was achieved
in the United States Senate.
thinking that the Colombians were mas
tors Of the situation. MIR. Concha. who had re-
placed Minister Silva. discovered new diff
crlties every day. soon saw that the rela
tions OF the two countries In this matter.
we're becoming tense, and so on Nov. 20
M him the danger of the situation and urg
fng radical action at Bogota.
%t 7 fFht month ats
ON on a question OF money: The United states
"e5edb a5@bsns wanted 600 or sa5 600 600
cash and 5000. 900 or 800. 900 annually. :,
SGtnsp ON pec Rto % tie fS
eins' suIn that that proposal from Colombia Of
$4,000 900 cash and s25o, ooG annually would
dEgGbsss 1 bs that pe SSssP}he Wss the extreme INIT Within
four weeks the terms suggested BY me, were
proposed to the United States by Dr. Herran
and accented,
Minister Bunau-varilla then went over
the history of the Colombian elections.
which. he said seemed to show the bad
faith of the Colombian Government. He
clssion by the Colombian Senate and its
contemptuous rejection of the proposed
treaty.
1t is known now that the cause Of that
rejection was the plan to twist the articles
concession concession and practically rob the French
SoH nhsn o the .ns
closed i had succeeded IN v9sntiy inssutine s
,as snfIa Stnss @ the
fnay it had sacrificed The very clements Of Of
BY DESTROYING the possibility Of the con-
ay crimes sTF {" was s"so1 provokson the fsthmps
n revolution. and ,throughout the whole
feeling Of hed is 3tep
its birth the republic was recognized and had
entered into diplomatic relations with many
OF the nations Of the earth.
These nations represent $50. 900 900 people,
which shows that the conscience Of the world
+ in complete accord WITH What ha TN has been
solved forever. and solved by theUnited States
Mr. Loomis in his address said
This PARTICULAR phase OF canal history
e9d % hs the sSsbs 9s
the treaty. have not, been e1haustively dis
sr ssa S Il s % s21ssss S It ssesy
tie treaty and their deeply grounded belief M
concession Of the French company and sell
the congestion to the United Stat States for for
Gy byes ea@e psrSsp Ss u Of nss
necessities FOR prompt and courageous action
rssn as np On inc
fer On ths ths n1:ss
provide inteliisen tly for the many, serious
s%a &c Isvoaan hSh the s
people, ata,A guided I by sfe opinions of lts most
continued TO think the Nioarasua, route an
impracticable one; i the people and Congress
. year, or until such time as the. politicians
at Bogota were ready to negotiate new
4ea sddtd 6sd nvd he
might have happened to the lsthnus?
di1tion by ans. wen informed person. that the
Government Of France would not ~ have w stood st,
sands OF her people through the act which tho
politicians OF Bogota proposed
to Paris the astounding news that the ex-
tension Of the French concession, was can.
celled. French squadron from Martinique
Il l,n,.n HIN non
lsthmus and landed marines at Colon ard
sen ,hem across to Pansms and along on ne
prS@rtH e @ ,S Of Fia FrenSR S4 TdeG otiyena '' anu
There would in all p1obssbiiity. a. a haze eos been
self compelled to occupy the lsthmus.
This would doubtless have wrought i'm
6Ilities of the American people with respect to
the Monro" Doctrine. and we should, no doubt
have found ourselves viewing France with
This Situation which have described.
fraught with real and mo omentous dangers.
furnished one of the very serious possibilities
which the nation had to face in dealing with
The evolution in panama When yoq& 70 & &grasp
complications which confronted the Presi-
dent and the plainly evident truth that no
k dond be otned rom
Colombia, and when you consider further
our obligations under the treaty OF ls48. and
the opportunity an orded to put an end to the
revolutions which had wasted the resources
and arrested the progress Of the lsthmus,
when Won recall Colon IS dog in-the-
nanger" attitude; when you remember the
lucid official statement of Secretary Cass in
1855, who said:
While the ri ghts of sovereignty Of the
States occupying this region should always be
respected. we shall expect that those rights
he exercised in spirit beiittins the occasion
and the wants and circumstances that have
arisen Sovereignty has its duties as we'll
as its rights, and none Of these local govern
ments, even if administered with more regard
70 the Just demands Of other nations than
they have been. would be permitted in
spirit of Eastern isolation to close the gates
OF Intercourse on the great highways of the
world and Justify the act by the pretension
that these avenues of trade and travel belong
70 them. and that they choose to shut them,
or. what is almost an equivalent. to encum.
Der them with such un just relations as would
When you review our historic attitude,
our conduct and the dangerous pressing
e'Sences OF the situation which confronted
this Government on the night of Nov. 3. |
pink yon may well be glad that there was
In Wash!n gton upon this truly fatefu occasion
q man who possessed the insg ght. the spirit.
the knowledge and the courage to seize
the opportunity to strike a blow the results OF
which can be bought only with peace and
good to the whole world.
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