Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-08

In the immediate past; fifth, that the
control Of Colombia over the isthmus
OF Panama could not be maintained
without the armed intervention and
assistance of the United States. In
other words, the government of Colon
Dia. though wholly unable to maintain
order on the isthmus, has nevertheless
declined to ratify a treaty the conclu-
sion of which opened the only chance
to secure its own stability and to guar
antee permanent peace on and the con-
structiOn Of a canal across the isthmus.
Under such circumstances the gov
eminent Of the United States would
have been guilty of folly and weakness
amounting in their sum to crime
against the nation had it acted other
wise than it did when the revolution Of
Nov. 3 last took place in Panama. This
great enterprise of building the inter-
oceanic canal cannot be held up to graf
ify the whims, or out Of respect to the
governmental impotence or to the even
more sinister and evil political pecul-
iarities, of people who, though they
dwell afar off. yet against the wish of
the actual dwellers on the isthmus as
sert an unreal supremacy over the ter
ritory. The possession Of territory
fraught with such peculiar capacities
as the isthmus in question carries with
it obligations to mankind. The course
of events has shown that this canal
cannot be built by private enterprise
or by any other nation than our own;
therefore it must be built by the Unit
ed States.
Treaty With New Republic of Panama.
Every effort has been made by the
government of the United States to
persuade Colombia to follow a course
which was essentially not only to our
interests and to the interests Of the
world. but to the interests Of Colombia
Itself. These efforts have failed, and
Colombia, by her persistence in repuls-
ing the advances that have been made,
has forced us, for the sake Of our own
honor and Of the interest and well be-
ing not merely of our own people. but
of the people of the isthmus of Panama
and the people Of the civilized coun-
tries of the world, to take decisive
steps to bring to an end q condition Of
affairs which had become intolerabIe.
The new republic of Panama imme-
diately offered to negotiate a treaty
with u.s. This treaty | herewith sub
NIT. b. it our interests are better safe
guarded than liz tie treaty with Co
iolliCia which was ratified by the SEN
ate ut its last session. 1t is better in
its terms than the treaties offered to us
by the republics of Nicaragua and
Costa Rica. AT last the right to begin
this great undertaking is made availa-
Die. Panama has done her part. All
that remains is for the American con-
gress to do its part and forthwith this
republic will enter upon the execution
of project colossal in its size and of
we'll nigh incalculable possibilities for
the good OF this country and the ma
tons Of mankind.
By the provisions of the treaty the
United States guarantees and will
maintain the Independence of the re-
public of Panama. There are granted
to the United States in perpetuity the
use, occupation and control of strip
ten miles wide and extending three
terminal, with all lands lying outside
of the zone necessary for the construc-
ton Of the canal or for its auxiliary
works and with the islands in the bay
of Panama.
The cities Of Panama and Colon are
not embraced in the canal zone, but the
United States assumes their sanitation
and. in case Of need, the maintenance
of order therein. The United States en-
joys within the granted limits all the
rights, power and authority which it
would possess were it the sovereign of
the territory to the exclusion of the ex-
ercise Of sovereign rights by the re-
public. All railway and canal property
rights belonging to Panama and need
ed for the canal to pass to the United
States. including any property Of the
respective companies in the cities Of
Panama and Colon; the works. proper
ty ard personnel Of the canal and rail-
ways are exempted from taxation as
we'll in the cities of Panama and Colon
as in the canal zone and its depend
encies. Free immigration Of the per-
sonnet and importation of supplies for
the construction and operation of the
canal are granted. Provision is made
for the use of military force and the
building of fortified tons by the United
States for the protection Of the transit.
In other details. particularly as to the
acquisition Of the interests of the New
Panama Canal company and the Pana-
ma railway by the United States and
the condemnation Of private property
for the uses of the canal. the stipula-
tons of the Hay-Herran treaty are
closely followed, while the compensa-
ton to be given for these enlarged
grants remains the same, being $10,-
100000 payable on exchange of ratifica-
TONS and, beginning nine years from
that date, an annual payment of $780,
600 during the life of the convention.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
White House, Dec Z. 1903.