The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-11-21
THE PANAMA TREATY.
PANAMA AND THE UNITED
STATES AGREE ON A
TREATY.

Exchange Congratulations-Sut
stance of the Treaty-United
S ates Has the Right to
Fortify Terminals.
Washington, Nov. -Secreta
ry Hay and NJ. Philippe-Buna-Va
rlila, the minister of Panama, at
O'Clock thus evening, signed tL
Hay-Buna VarilIa treaty, providiut
for the construction of the Pansm,
canal by the Uaited States. Tn,
ceremony occurred in Secretary
Hays study. The Panama minis
ter arrived at Mr.. Hays house
promptly at 6 o'clock, having made
an appointment wnh the secretary
for conference at that hour. He
was surprised to fnd that the sec
retary had before him the treaty
engrossed in duplicate. The min-
lister read the document carefully,
ana then he and secretary Hay al
tao ned their signatures TO it.
Hearty congratulations were ex-
changed, and it was agreed that tue
news f-the signing OF the treaty
should oe kept from the public for
the present. President Roo ,evelt
was advised of the signing, and nj.
Buna-Vaiilla sent a cJufdential
'iablegram to.his government stat
log the treaty had Deeh signed.
Although the treaty has not bean
made public, the Associated Press
is enabled to give the substancs of
the document. It consists of 22 and
25 articles, but the main points of
The convention are coutaiaed Ia the|
first six articles.
The keynote Of the treaty is the
provision in one Of the very first
articles by which Panama cedes to
the United States whatever land Or
lands in the republic of Panama,
this government shall find des. ra-
BILE in connection with the building
to the operation and maintenance of
the caual. In addition, the treaty
give to the United States abunds n
sovereignty over the canal "trip,
which, it is understood, comprises
between eight and ten miles en-
each side Of the canal. Within this
zone, the power of the United states
is rs absolute a, is the zone were I
part and parcel of this country.
In general, it may be said that
while the new treaty contains many
Of the provisions of the rejected
Arron treaty, it is not n4sed
Oh that convention, but follows not
only th" spirit, hut the letter OF ths
Spooper act. Thus, instead of
lease FIR a fixed period of the canal
strip, this new treaty provides for
perpetu' grsrt for the right of
way to the u1i.ed S ates, aud IN
ttsad If a complicated provision for
courts OF fixed comp osition, half
American and half Colon bian, tlt
justice over the ca aal
strip, the new treaty permits this
to exercise the most
complete jurisdiction thereon.
Permission also is given to the
United States to fortify the line
and the terminate, and it may po-
lice it with troops. Thati portion
of the treaty dwelling with the for
tiication OF the terminals is rsther
general, but sufficiently explicit not
to be misunderstood.
The cities of Panama and Colon
retain their municipal autonomy
under the republic of Panama SO
dong as they maintain public otder
and sanitary conditions to the sat
isfaetion of the United States.
Failure to do this gives the United
States, according to the treaty, the
right to force strict compliance with
the wishes Of this government in
this direction, and the United
States can even use force to compel
obedience o-its rules as to public
order and public health in these
Giles.
The money considered is the
same in the new treaty as In the
Hay-Herron convention, with the
exception thatthe S1O,000,000 go to
Panama instead of to Colombia.
The treaty further provides that
the canal is to be neutral and open
to all nations on even terms.