Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-12-09

f$+a " 49, = ~ IE I Il
die the battleships, cruisers and torpsdos
boats with high efficiency in tfeet and
squadron formations, and the standard Of
1 m1ta q Y Is being steadily raised.
Inc pest work ashore Is Indispensable
but the. highest duty OF a NAVAL officer is
to exercise command at sea- r, ~ =
It Is eminently desirable. however, that
stan on lines similar to those of the general
stan lately created for the army. Within
me me navy itself the needs Of
under which the duties Of general stan
are partially performed; for the bureau Of
navigation has under its direction the war
the board of inspection, and has been in
close touch with the general board of the
navy nav Rut though under: the, ON
Gers s s at dneir head. these boards and bureaus
OF general staff, and have not sufficient
SCOPE 70 insure proper readiness for
EMERGENCIES. We need the establishment
shan exercise systematic control Of the
military affairs Of the navy, and be author
lied advisers of the secretary concerning it.
~, The Isthmian Canal.
BY the act Of June g. 1902. the congress
treaty with Colombia for the building Of
the canal across the Isthmus of Panama:
It being provided that in the event of
lapse Of a reasonable time. recourse
should be had to building a canal through
Nicaragua. 1t has not been necessary to
consider this alternative, as am enabled
to lay before the senate a treaty provid-
Ing for the building of the canal across
the lsthmus of Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the de-
we can now acquire by treaty the right
to construct the canal over this route.
Ihe question; now. therefore. is, not by
wnicn route the tsthmian canal shall be
that question ha
~ and irrevocably decided. The question
1s simply whether or not we shall have
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
but to the route itself: to the territory
across which the route lay. not to the
name which for the moment the territory
was to authorize the president to make
treaty with the power in actual con-
troll of the Isthmus OF Panama This
purpose has been fulfilled
Isthminn Treaty Obligations.
In the year 1916 this government en-
tered into treaty with New Granada.
the predecessor upon the Isthmus of the
Republic of Colombia and OF. the present
Republic of Panama. by which treaty it
vi the a hte ae soss shea a
ways have free and open right of way
or transit across the Isthmus of Panama
by any modes Of communication that
might be constructed, while in return our
government guaranteed the perfect neu-
traltty of the above-named isthmus with
the view that the free transit from the
rupted or embarrassed. The treaty vest
ed in the United States a substantial
property right carved out of the rights Of
soveretgnty and property which New
Granada then had and possessed over the
said territory. The name of New Gran
ada has passed away and its territory
has been divided. It's successor. the gov
any property in the isthmus. A new
republic. that of Panama, which was at
one time a sovereign state. and at an
other time mere department of the sue
Granada and Colombia, has now succeed
ed to the rights which first one and then
the other formerly exercised over the
dures, the mere geographical fact Of its
existence. and the peculiar interest there
in which is required by our position,
perpetuate the solemn contract which
spect our right to freedom of transit
across it. and binds US in return to safe
guard for the isthmus and the world the
The true Interpretation of the obligations
upon which the United States entered in
this, treaty of 1886 has been given repeat
eddy IN the utterances of presidents and
For 400 years ever since shortly after the
discovery of this hemisphere. the canal
across the isthmus has been. planned. For
twoscore years 1t has been worked at.
When made it is to last for the ages. 1t is
to alter the geography of a continent and
the trade routes of the world. We have
or attempted to negotiate with the peoples
in cantrol. Of the isthmus and with foreign
nations n references thereto our consistent
good faith in observing our obligations; on
n naOOla1 nj ha jSfh
and on the other hand to the civilized world
whose commercial rights We are safe
guarding and guaranteeing by our action.
We have done our duty to others in letter
and spirit, and we have shown the utmost
forbearance In exacting our own rights.
Colombfa's Reputation of Treaty.
Last spring, under the act above re-
TERED TO- treaty &c. concluded between the
bia az. and Of our Eoyernment was ratified
into at the urgent solicitation Of the peo-
perts appointed by our government es-
pecially to 20 into the matter of the
routes across the isthmus had pro-
nounced unanimously in favor of
every concession was made to the people
and to the government of Colombia We
were more than just in dealing with
them. Our generosity was such as to
make it serious question. whether we
terest at the expense of our own: for in
our scrupulous desire to pay all possible
heed. not merely to the real but even to
the fancied rights of our weaker neigh
Dor, who already owed so much to our
protection and forbearance, we yielded
in all possible ways to her desires in
government of Colombia not merely
repudiated the treaty, but repudiated it
In such manner as to make it evident by
the time the Colombian congress adj
that mot
NAMED of ever getting a satisfactory
treaty from them. The government OF
Colombia made the treaty. and yet when
the Colombian congress was called to
ratify 1t the vote against ratification was
unanimous. 1t does not appear, that the
government made any real effort to Sc
cure ratification.
Revolution in Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment of
the congress a revolution broke out in
Panama. The people of Panama had
long been disseminated with the Republic
OF Colombo and nd they had been kept
clusion Of the treaty. which was to them
q matter of vital concern. When It be-
came evident that the treaty was hope
literally as one p man. Not na ahot T %ss
fred by single man on the isthmus in
the interest Of the Colombian govern
%s1t; NOT III NE was lost in the accom-
bian troops stationed on the isthmus,
who had long been unpaid. made com.
mon cause with the people Of Panama,
and with astonishing unanimity the new
republic was started. The duty Of the
United States in the premises was clear,
In strict accordance with the principles
in the Official documents above quoted.
the United States gave notice that II
would permit the landing Of no expedi-
tionary force, the arrival Of which would
mean chaos and destruction along the
line Of the railroad and Of the proposed
canal, and an Interruption fof transit as
an inevitable consequence. 4 The de facto
In the following telegram to Mr.: Ehr-
man: - I1.-
"The people Of Panama have, by appar-
emily unanimous movement, dissolved their
Colombia and resumed their independence.
When you are satisfied that de facto gov