The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1903-12-11
ment Of Alaska. especially in regard to the
InsuIar Possessions.

|
The building or lighthouses in nawan and
the payment for those already buit by
the isiana government. lie asks that the
governor Oh HawaH be empow cred TO dis
charge officials appointed by him without
submitting the matter to the legislature.
lie reports STEADY progress being made
in both Porto Rico and the Philippines and
asks Tor the latter new tartH arrange
menIs.
He believes that new laws are needed In
connection with the administration OF the
pubic lands, and wants tnem he'd, so Tar
| as possible, Tor the home builder. He re-
ports steady progress being made in irri-
cation IN the west under the irrigation law,
ana does not believe new legislation along
this line Is needed now. He urges the con-
tinuatlon OF the work OF forest preserva-
ton, and the reservation of the public
lands lying about the headwaterS of the
western streams
He notes the increase in the number of
government employees under the civil sery-
ice rules, and pronounces the results adj
yantageous to the government. In con-
nectlon with the army he recommends the
procuring of suitable maneuver grounds in
different sections of the country, and some
provision that will enable the department
to recognize merit in making promotions
where such are deserved. For the navy he
wants naval base established in the Phil
ippines without unnecessary delay, and
recommends the establishment of a naval
general staff along lines similar to those
of the army.
The Isthmian Canal.
More attention is given the isthmian
canal and the Panama revolution than to
any other subject The legislation leading
up TO the present condition IS discussed
and reviewed. He sees no necessity for
reyerting TO the Nicaraguan route, and
pronounces present conditions ripe for the
building of the Panama canal, and in this
connection says:
When the congress directed that We
should take the Panama route under treaty
with Colombia, the essence OF the cOndf-
ton OF course referred not TO the govern
ment which controlled that route, but to
the route itself; TO the territory across
which the route lay. not 20 the nam~which
for the moment the territory bore on the
map. The purpose of the law was to au-
| thorize the president to make a treaty
with the power in actual control OF the
isthmus. of Panama. This purpose has
| been fulfilled"
He reviews the relations of this govern
ment with Colombia relative to the mat
ter of transit across the isthmus from the
time of the signing of the treaty guaran-
teeing right OF way of transit across the
/ isthmus TO the citizens OF this country,
1916, down to the present time. For an in
depreciation of the meaning of the treaty
he quotes from the state papers OF previous
government officials, including Secretary
Cass and Secretary Seward Says we are
under obligations to the world TO build the
canal; notes the reputation of the canal
treaty by Colombia and says:
Nevertheless the government CT Co.om-
bla not merely repudiated the treaty, but
repudiated il in such manner as to make
il evident by the time the Colombian con-
gress adjourned that not the scantiest hope
remained of ever getting satisfactory
treaty from them. The government of
Colombia made the treaty, and yet when
the Colombian congress was called to rat
fy II the vote against ratification was
unanimous. 1t does not appear that the
government made any real effort to secure
ratification
The Panama Revolution.
He reviews the incidents of the Panama
revolution and says the action OF the
United States was in accordance with the
able transit across the isthmus, and could
not have been otherwise. He reviews at
considerable length the disturbances that
have occurred in Panama since 1S47, and
the efforts of the United States to preserve
the rights guaranteed its citizens by treaty
and says:
I'm short. the experience of over half a
century has shown Colombia to be utterly
incapable of keeping order on the isthmus.
Only the active interference OF the United
States has enabled her to preserve so much
as semblance of sovereignty. Had It
not been for the exercise by the United
States of the police power in her interest,
her connection with the isthmus would
have been sundered long ago. In 1856, in
1860. in 1873. in 1885, in 1901. and again in
1902 sailors and marines from United
States warships were forced to land in or
der to patrol the isthmus, to protect life
and property and TO see that the transit
across the isthmus was kept open In 1861,
in 1862, in 1855 and IN 1860, the Colombian
government asked that the United States
government would land troops to protect
its interests and maintain order on the
isthmus.'
Considering the canal question in all it's
phases, and the inability of Colombia to
maintain order on the lsthmus ana us
have guaranteed permanent peace there,
| the president says:
Under such circumstances the govern
ment of the United States would have been
guilty of folly and weakness, amounting
! in their sum to a crime against the nation
! had II acted otherwise than II did when
/ ba r,avol1fion of NnVprphar z last tOnhx
place in Panama. This great enterprise of
building the interoceanic canal cannot De
| held up to crafty the whlmS, or out of
respect to the governmental impotence,
/ or to the even more sinister and evil poltt-
! ieal pecuiarities, 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 terri
| tory. The possession of territory fraught
/ with such peculiar capacities as the 18th
mus in question carries with il 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 United States
The New Canal Treaty.
He refers to the new canal treaty recent
! Nv made with Panama, which he submits
with the message. and says of It:
by the provisions OF the treaty the
United States guarantees and will main
/ tain the independence of the republic of
/ Panama. There is granted to the United
4 States IN peTpetully TIE USE Occupation
/ and control OF a strip TEN miles wide and
extending three nautical miles into Zee
sea at either terminal, with all lands lying
/ side of the Nane necessary for the con-
struction 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 enjoys
within the granted limits all the rights,
power and authority which it would pos
sess were it the sovereign of the territory
! TO the exclusion of the exercise of soyer-
eign rights by the republic. AL railway
/ and canal property rights belonging to
Panama and needed for the canal pass to