The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-20
THE NEW PANAMA CANAL TREATY.


ter of the dread disease.
THE NEW PANAMA CANAL TREATY.
1t looks now as if the Panama canal.
when completed, will stand a monument
of the most remarkable and drastic series
of events in history. 1t looks almost as If
Providence had planned to signalize the
enterprise by long series of remarkable
events leading up TO it.
1t is not little surprising that strip of
land, 800 miles long and only thirty miles
wide at the narrowest place, should have
remained so long as barrier to the worlds
commerce and that one of the least pro-
gressive of South American states should
have been able. by means of it, to retard
the progress of two continents scores or
years. Coming 10 recent times, the con-
cession to the French Panama Company.
its disastrous failure after expanding hun
dreds OF millions Of dollars, the long dis
cusson in Congress, the new negotiation
between the United States and Colombia,
the treacherous and imbecile conduct of the
Colombian government, the revolution in
Panama, the prompt recognition of the new
republic and the quick contamination of a
new treaty between the United States and
Panama form remarkable series OF
events.
The new treaty signed Wednesday even
ing by Secretary Hay ana Minister Bunau-
Varilla is remarkable for the rapidly with
oh frap 10 r.
lance of the results achieved. 1t has been
only seventeen days since the Colombian
Congress adjourned without having ratified
the Hay-Herran canal treaty, and only
sixteen days since the people of Panama,
Disguised and outraged by the action of
Colombia, declared their independence.
Now we have a new treaty with new
power covering the whole ground in the
most satisfactory manner. That the repre-
sentatives of the two powers were able to
come to an agreement so quickly shows
that they both knew exactly what they
wanted, and that each had confidence in
the good faith of the other. Panama want
ed the canal and wanted the United States
TO build it, while the latter was anxious
TO obtain absolute control of the canal
when completed and undisputed sovereignty
over it's termini and over a wide strip Of
land on both sides of it. BY the new treaty
both powers get exactly what they desired
and the United States obtains much better
terms than she would have got from Co
lombia, even had that power ratified the
treaty instead of madly rejecting IL.
Instead of getting merely lease for a
fixed period of strip of land wide enough
for the canal, with only quasi-control and
sovereignty. the United States now gets an
actual cession of all the land she may need
at either terminus of the canal and strip
of eight or ten miles in width on either side
of it, over which it is to have absolute
sovereignty with the right to build forts
whenever 1t may be deemed necessary. The
legal effect of the treaty is to add to the
territorial possessions of the United States
about GOO square miles of land, including
the canal, which will be as completely and
exclusively under the jurisdiction of the
United States as if it were in Indiana.
Under this treaty revolution. no change
of government in Panama can affect the
ownership of the canal in the slightest de-
gree, and any power that attempts to
NEEDLE with it will have to reckon with
the United States.
For these important concessions the
United States is to pay Panama s1O,000.000
on the ratification of the treaty and $3.50, 600
a year in perpetuity, beginning after the
expiration of nine years. The money con-
sideration is the same as was offered to
Colombia, but the United States gets much
more valuable concessions. In addition to
what has been already stated these include
four islands lying in or near the Bay Of
Panama, which will have strategic value
for the United States and which Colombia
refused to cede or lease.
The completion of this treaty, which will
undoubtedly be promptly ratified, assures
the completion of the greatest engineering
work of modern times and one that will
mark a new epoch in the worlds progress.
incidentally it may be remarked that every
step in the work has been taken by Re-
publican administrations, thus emphasizing
anew the fact that the Republican party
is the only one in this country that does
things