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

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sentered into its treaty with New Granada
During that time the governments Of New
Granada and of its successor, Colombia,
have been In turmoil. The experience Of
to be utterly incapable Of keeping order
on the isthmus. Only the active inter-
ference of the United States has enabled
her to preserve so much as semblance of
ercise by the United States of the police
power in her interest, her connection with
the isthmus would have been sun
1885, in 1901, and again in 1902. sailors and
marines from United States warships were
forced to land in order to patrol the 18TH
see that the transit across the isthmus was
kept open. In 1861, in 1862. in 1885, and in 1900
Inc ,C9lo 9a6 government the
troops to protect its interests and maintain
orcer on the isthmus. Perhaps the most
extraordinary request Is that which has
lows:
colombia's Latest Proposition.
Knowing that revolution has already
commenced in Panama Ian eminent Co
the United States will land troops to pre- e.
srans cHom6an dSq I've and the
danaires. this government will declare
martial law: and, by virtue of vested con-
stitutional authority. when! public order
-
ratification of the canal treaty as signed;
or. If the government of the United States
prefers, will call extra session of the con-
gress-With new and friendly members
next May to approve the treaty IAN emf
nent Colombian] has the perfect confidence
of vice president, he says, and if it became
representative there to adjust matters
along above lines to the satisfaction of
the people, there"
This dispatch is noteworthy from two
standpoints. Its offer Of imlsediately
guaranteeing the treaty to us is in sharp
contrast with the positive and contempt
closed its sessions to consider favorably
such treaty; it shows that the govern
ment which made the treaty really had alb
not choose to exercise this control Iu' The T1e
dispatch further calls on US to restore or
der and secure Colombian supremacy in
the isthmus from which the Colombian gov
eminent has just by it's action decided to
bar us by preventing the construction of
the canal.
Important to Us.
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 repea ted
~ exercised this control by intervening
by protecting the territory from foreign
invasion. In 1853 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 vigilant to avail itself
of its privileges conferred by the treaty.
expressed its expectation that in. the
event Of war between Peru and Spain
the United States would carry into eff
feet the guaranty of neutrality. There
state department in which this treaty
has not, either by the one side or the
other. been used as 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
ment. In 1886. when Colombia was, under
the menace Of hostilities from Italy In
the Cerruti case, Mr.. Bayard expressed
sas doud no, that the United
pean power should resort to force against
sister republic of this hemisphere. as
to the sovereign and uninterrupted use OF
| antors under the solemn faith of treaty
The above recital of facts establishes
beyond question: First. that the United
States has for over half century pa
| obligations under the treaty of 1876; Sec
I ond. that when for the first time it be-
| came possible for Colombia to DO any
thing in recuital OF the services thus re.
the United States. the Colombian gov.
eminent perenptorily and extensively re-
fused thus to do its part. even though
to do so would have been to Its advan
tasee and UNNECESSARILY to the advantag,
| Of the state Of Panama, at that time un
DER its jurisdiction: third. that through
! out this period revolutions, riots, ant
fachonal disturbances of every kind hav,
| occurred one after. the other in almos
! uninterrupted succession, some of then
lasting for months and even for years
| ont HI
to put them down or to make peace will
the rebels: fourth. that these disturb
ances instead Of showing any sign O
abating have tended to grow NOR,
date past; fifth, that the control o
Colombia over the Isthmus of Panam;
could not be maintained without tn
armed Intervention and assistance of tn
eminent Of Colombia though wholly un
able to maintain order on the isthmus
treaty the conclusion of which opened
! the only chance to secure its own stabil
ity and to guarantee permanent peac
on. and the construction Of a cana
Under such circumstances the govern
ment of the United States would have beer
| guilty of folly and weakness, amounting
IN their sum to a crime against the nation
| had 1t acted otherwise than it did whel
the revolution of November 3 last tool
| place In Panama. This great enterprise c
building the interoceanic canal cannot b.
held up to crafty the whims, or out o
respect to the governmental impotence
or to the even more sinister ana evil polit
ical peculiarities, of people who. thougl
they dwell atar on. yet, against the wisl
of the actual jewellers on the istEmus, as
sert an unreal supremacy over the terri
tory. The possession of a territory traugh
with such peculiar capacities as the 18th
! mus in question carries with it obligation
| to mankind. The course of events ha
shown that this canal cannot be built b,
private enterprise, or by any other nation
than our own: therefore it must be bull
by the United States.
Provisions of Panama Treaty.
Every effort has been made by the gov
Colombia to follow a course " WHICH RfSu wa
essentially not only to our interests AM
to the interests OF the world, but to the in
terests OF Colombia itself. These effort
have failed; and Colombia, by her persist
ence in repulsing the advances that hav
been madeI has forced u.s., for the sake o
our own honor, and Of the interest ant
but of the people Of the isthmus of Pan
anna and the people of the civilized coun
tries of the world, to take decisive step
to bring to an end a condition Of affair
which had become intolerable. The ney
republic Of Panama Immediately offered t,
negotiate treaty with US. This treaty
herewith. submit BY it our. interests ar
better safeguarded than In the treaty will
Colombia which was ratified by the sen
ate at its last session. 1t is better in it
terms than the treaties offered to US by tn
At last the right to begin this great under
taking Is made available. Panama ha
done her part. All that remains is for tn
American congress to do its part and forth
| with this republic will enter upon the exc
cution of a project colossal in its size an,
Of well-nigh incalculable possibilities TO-
the good Of this country and the nation
| of mankind.
! nv tho nrovisions ~ tho treoty +be T1,,+.,
! States guarantees and will maintain tn
independence" Of the republic of Panama
There Is granted to the United States |,
Of a strip ten miles wide and extending
three nautical miles into the sea at eithe
terminal, with all lands lying outside o
the canal or for its auxiliary works, AM
| with the islands in the bay Of Panama