The San Francisco call., 1903-12-13
HURRY UP THE CANAL.

S The Call predicted the minority IN Congress will
n Tor while obstruct. criticize and in in
L stances yilify the administration in the Panama
matter and will then fall in and support the new treaty
with the new republic In this it will follow the
it took in the matter of Cuban reciprocity
Mr. Williams, the minority leader of the House took
advantage of the debate the pension bill to cbsruct
the business of the House by attacking the President,
accusing him of disobeyng the Spooner law That law
required only that he wait "a reasonable time for Co
lomba to enter into canal treaty and then reopen ne
gotiatons with Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Well, the
treaty went the Colombian Congress last August
and was rejected Immediately upon evidence that
neither it nor any reasonable treaty the
could be made with Colombia sovereignty arose
over the sthmus, a jurisdiction AS soon as this
jurisdiction all the features of de facto Gov
ernment and such recognized by us and almost
simultaneously by Italy, France Great Britain and Ger
many made with it treaty for the canal more fav-
orable than any one had ever dreamed to be possible
Mr.. Williams said that this the hrst time that
this Government had nterfered in the domestic affairs
of any South American country. Does he not know
that from the moment it was decided by this Government
that if and not private parties would build the canal such
interference became necessity of the situation? Does
he not know his party ceaselessy insisted that
the canal must be public and private enterprise,
and that as such could not be constructed without
ectng our sovereignty within another sovereignty than
which there acute form OF interference IN the
affairs of an independent state?
sought
treaty We so sought it in the treaty which Colombia
rejected upon the specific ground that invaded her
eregnty easily thnkable that would encounter
the same difficulty with Nicaragua and Costa Rca. In
deed was encountered long with both of those
states They demanded that Offset such grant by
entering into an alliance offensive and defensive with
them binding ourselves to support them in military ad-
do their fighting against the world if they
chose to embroil themselves with other power A
treaty do this thing negotiated by Secretary
Frenghuysen in President Arhur's administration and
was withdrawn by Mr.. Cleveland among the first acts
of his first administration Since then there is evil
dence that Nicaragua and Costa Rca have changed their
position that question, and it such understanding
of their mpacabity that compelled President Mckinley
to turn to the Panama route
Having advocated policy which necessitates inter-
ference in other states what has Mr. Williams say of
the situation that would develop if they all follow the
example Of Colombia and refuse to permit it by treaty.
That refusal has already occurred What then? Fol-
lowing policy laid down by the Democratic leader,
Cass nothing would be left but forcible, military
invasion of the sthus, to override local sovereignty by
take the rights which hold in trust for the
commerce of the world Events have spared this last
resort The de facto sovereignty of Panama
abdcae sovereignty the canal strip twenty miles
such sovereignty relates to the consruc
tion administration and enjoyment of the of that
waterway. The administration, instead of being
Grated for taking advantage of events favorable would
be Justly execrable if it had not.
After Mr.. Williams had exhausted his ingenuity in
finding fault and i'll trying make issue useful next
year he exposed the atuous policy of his party by say
ing The minority be made make the mistake
which the majority desires it make. The Democrats
want canal They want the Nicaragua canal, but if
they get the canal where they think ought be
they will take it where they get it. If the President
refuses try and negotiate treaty with Nicaragua
and Costa Rica then in Gods name hurry canal
This rather pitiful exposure be made bv the
leader of party We taking the only steps hurry
up the canal and obstructed only by Mr. Williams
and his party The Republicans not making them
oppose and obstruct They not trying to make them
make any mistake, their capacity in making mistakes
needs outside help They give notice that they
will pull back all they can, hinder much they may,
and then at the end fall in and follow the Republicans
who would have been glad have them march as one
and keep step forward the result long hoped
for.