The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-08-19
COLOMBIA REJECTS CANAL TREATY
The Vote Against Ratification
was Unanimous.

was Unanimous.
Bogota, Colombia, Aug. l2.-Via
Buena Ventura, Aug. 1.-THE Panama
Canal treaty has been rejected unani-
mously by the Colombian Congress.
Washington, Aug. ia cablegram,
dated Aug. II, has been received at
the State department from Minister
Beaupre, at Bogota, saying that the
Panama Canal treaty has been rejected
by the Colombian Senate.
President Roosevelt was Immediately
advised of the news, Mr.. Baeupre's
telegram being forwarded to Oyster
Bay.
Very little additional information
concerning the action of the Colon
bian Senate could be obtained at the
State department. Mr.. Adee, acting
Secretary, would not discuss Colon
bian affairs nor indicate what course
the United States would pursue. The
information in the cablegram Of Minis
ter Beaupre was meagre, and there
was no intimation whatever that the
treaty might not again be brought up
for consideration.
Section 4, of the Isthmian Canal Act,
provides that should the President be
unable to obtain satisfactory title to
the property of the new Panama Canal
Company and control Of the necessary
territory and the rights necessary to
the construction Of the canal from the
Republic of Colombia, he shall make
the necessary treaties with Costa Rica
and Nicaragua and proceed with the
construction Of canal by the Mica
raugan route.
It will be impossible for President
Marroquin again to submit the treaty
to the Colombian Congress in its pre-
sent form. The Senate having reject
ed it the treaty cannot come again be-
fore that body except by the Senate's
own vote President Marroquin,
however, can send the treaty slightly
amended to the Senate and reopen the
canal debate. 1t is said at the CO.
lombian legation that President Mar
roouin will adopt some such procedure.
The reason given for the rejection of
the treaty by the Colombian Senate,
it is said here, was the alleged en-
croachment on Colombian sovereignty,
which, its opponents contended, would
result from the treaty. This informa-
tion was contained in dispatch re-
ceived tonight by DR.. Herran, the
Colombian charge, from Foreign
Minister Riscos, at Bogota. This dis
patch showed that in its present form
the treaty was absolutely unaccept-
able to the Senate, for the reason
above stated, and that it had been re-
iected unanimously. Incidental to the
general question of sovereignty neces-
sarily was that of the lease Of the strip
of land through which the canal was
to be constructed, and the debate in
the Colombian Senate indicated that
that body regarded this as amounting
to sale of the land and, therefore,
Objectionable. When the treaty was
submitted to the Senate by the COM
mittee to which it had been referred,
seven of the Senators favored it with
certain amendments, which they
proposed, and the remaining two op-
posed it absolutely.
An interesting feature Of the whole
debate in the Colombian Senate and in
the committees report, favoring the
treaty. is said to be the entire absence
of reference Ito the question OF IN
demnity offered by the United States
for the right of way.
HOW HAY OVERREACHED HIM
SELF.
Bogota, Colombia, August Il, via
Buena V Ventura, Aug. II 1t is re-
ported today that President Marroquin
has been authorized by Congress to
make a new treaty, which will not
REQUIRE further ratification, but that
the bases given for the treaty Will
probably prove unacceptable to the
United States.
It is considered, however, in official
circles, according to reliable informa-
ton, that the authorization given by
Congress to make a new treaty Will
furnish a basis for reopening negotIa-
lions with the United States.
it appears that one of the objections
TO the ratification of the treaty which
carried weight in the Senate, was
that the Panama Canal Company did
not come to a previous arrangement
with the Colombian Government for
the transfer of the concession. The
action taken by the Senate, moreover,
must have been Influenced by the COM
munication made by the American
minister, IN which the introduction of
ary amendments to the treaty was OBJ
jected to.
i ~G