The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-20

occur next year. Then again, IN view OF
the vastly superior advantages OF the
Panama route, he may be disposed to
think that some minor notifications OF
the Hay-Herran treaty would not be
unreasonable, and he may advise the rati-
fication OF such changes by the Senate.
BY neither OF these proceedings would he
overstep the limits OF the discretion in
trusted to him by Congress, which makes
him the Judge OF the reasonableness OF
the time at which and the terms on which
the needed concession can be secured
from Colombia.
As we began by saying, however, we
will assume, for the sake Of argument,
that after renewed negotiations the
President will find himself unable to OBJ
tain from the Colombian politicians any
terms that to him seem reasonable"
and which, therefore, he is willing to
submit with bis Endorsement to the Sen
ate. We assume, further, that in .conse-
quence OF the ultimate failure OF nego-
tiations at Bogota the President will feel
himself constrained by the act OF Con-
gress to enter at no distant date upon
negotiations with Costa RIGA and Mica
ragua. That those negotiations will be
considerably, il not indefinitely, pro-
longed may be taken for granted. because
there Ia good ground for believing that
Costa RIGA and Nicaragua, acting on the
supposition that the Nicaragua route no
longer has competitor, will exact terms
for the concession Of territory which
neither President ROOSEVELT nor any
body else will regard as reasonable.
Protracted delay is, therefore, the one
inevitable result Of the rejection of the
Hay-Herran treaty at Bogota. What
will the State Of Panama be doing in the
meantime? Is it likely that the far
sighted and progressive leaders OF the
Liberal party in that province. which,
for upward Of sixty years, has protested
against the sacrifice Of the interests Of
the Isthmus to the greed Of Bogota poll
ticians, will now tamely acquiesce in the
irremediable ruin OF its prospects?
In times past the sense Of outrage has
repeatedly impelled the Liberals of the
Isthmus to revolution, although they
have never previously had 1.-THE Of the
provocation that would be given by the
rejection OF the Hsy-Herran treaty. For
wrongs comparatively insignificant the
provinces of Panama and Veragua Sc
oeded in lS4i and declared themselves
independent under the title Of the State
OF the Isthmus Panama, again, in 1858
and 1857, Antioquia and Panama avail
ing themselves of clause in a con-
stitutional amendment made In 1853,
proclaimed themselves independent and
entered into merely federal connec-
ton with the central republic. The pro-
spective injury with which the Isthmus
is now ne naced is inoomparably greater
than any with which it was threatened
at the dates just named
1t 10 idle to argue, as Colombian has
argued in the North American Reriew,
that the Isthrous would have more to
lose than to gain by the construction Of
an interoceanic canal, for the reason that
the ports Of Colon and Panama, instead
OF being, what they are now, entrepots,
would become mere way stations on a
through route. The Intelligent natives
of the Isthmus know better They know
that il an interooeanic canal should be
built by the United States along the Mica
ragua route the harbors OF Colon and
Panama would shortly be deserted, and
even the last surviving asset Of the 18TH
m,s, the Panama Railway, would soon
cease to be remunerative. They know,
too, that the annual income received
from tho canal, and the profits obtain
able from the supplies and repairs re-
quired by vessels in transit would consti-
tute tho smallest part Of the immense
advantage derivable by the inhabitants
OF Panama from an interoceanio water
way controlled by the United States.
They foresee that the presence of the
American flag on the Isthmus would be
followed by a tremendous inflow OF
American capital and that the agricul-
tural and mineral resources Of their ter
ritory would quickly undergo an extraor-
binary development. 1t is in anticipa-
ton Of just such result that the prices
OF real estate in Panama and Colon and
along the line Of the canal have since the
negotiation OF the Hay-Herran treaty
experienced remarkable advance.
The economical and social transforma-
ton which would be effected on the 18TH
mus of Panama by the construction of an
interoceanic canal under the auspices OF
the United States would be without q
parallel in the history Of Latin-America,
The intelligent Liberals of Panama and
Colon are keenly alive to the gravity OF
the present conjuncture, and they are
likely to be heard from il the definite
rejection OF the Hay-Herran treaty at
Bogota shall be made known.
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