The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-11-20
UNITED STATES TO PERPErU.
ALLY CONTROL TERRITORY
ALONG WATERWAY.
RIGHT TO FoR1IFY The LINE
THIS COUNTRY MAY ALSO ERECT
FORTS At THE CITIES OF
PANAMA AND COLON.

Washington, Nov. 19.-Secretary
Hay and M. Philippe Bunau.Varilla,.
the minister from Panama, at 6
o'clock Wednesday evening signed the
Hay-Bunau-varilla treaty providing
for the construction of the Panama
canal by the United States. The
ceremony occurred in Secretary
Hays study. The Panama minister
arrived at Mr.. Hays house promptly
at 6 o'clock, having made an appoint
ment with the secretary for a meeting
at that hour. He was surprised that
the secretary had before him the
treaty engrossed in duplicates. The
secretary informed M. Vanilla that he
was ready to sign the treaty. The
and then he and Secretary Hay at
tached their signatures to it.
Hearty congratulations were ex-
changed and President Roosevelt was
Immediately advised of the signing of
the document, and Minister Bunau-
Varilla sent a confidential cablegram
to his government stating that the
treaty had been signed.
The secretary and the minister re-
fused to comment on the matter. The
only official admission that could be
had is that the "terms of the treaty
are practically settled"
Substance of the Treaty.
Although the treaty has not been
made public, the Associated Press is
enabled to give the substance of the
document.
1t consists of between twenty-five
and twenty-five articles, but the main
points of the convention are contained
In the first six articles.
The keynote of the treaty is the pro-
vision in one Of the very first articles
by which Panama cedes to the United
States whatever land or lands
throughout the republic of Panama this
government shall find desirable in
connection with the building or the
operation and maintenance Of the
canal. In addition the treaty gives to
the United States absolute sovereign
ty rel the canal strip, which, it is
understood, comprises between eight
and ten miles on each side of the
canal. Within this zone the power of
the United States is a absolute as it
the zone were part and parcel Of this
country.
In general it may be said that while
the e treaty contains many of the
provisions of the failed Hay-Herran
treaty it is not based on that conven-
ton, but follows not only the spirit
but the letter of the Spooner act. Thus,
instead of the lease for a fixed period
Of the canal strip, this new treaty
Provides for a Perpetual Grant
of the right of way to the United
States. and instead of a complicated
provision for courts of fixed compost
tion-half American and half Colon
bian-to administer justice over the
canal strip. the new treaty permits
this government to exercise the most
complete jurisdiction t%hereupon.
Permission also is given the United
States to fortify the line and the ter
minals and it may police it with
troops. That portion of the treaty
dealing with the fertilization Of the
terminals is rather general but suff-
GENTLY explicit. not to be misunder-
stood.
The cities of Panama and Colon re-
tain their municipal autonomy under
the republic Of Panama so long as they
maintain public order and sanitary
conditions to the satisfaction of the
United States. Failure to do this gives
the United States, according to the
treaty. the right to force strict COM
pliance with the wishes Of this gov
eminent in this direction, and the
United States car even use force to
compel obedience to it's rules as to pub
lie order and public health in these
cities.
Money Consideration Unchanged.
The money consideration is the
same in the new treaty as in the. Hay
Herran convention, with the exception
that the $40, O00, 900 go to Panama in
stead of to Colombia.
The treaty further provides that the
canal is to be neutral and open to all
nations on even terms.
Two-thirds of the treaty concerns
details of administration which,
while not necessary to the efficiency
of the convention, will, it is believed,
commend the ley treaty to many
members of the senate who have
picked flaws in the defunct Hay-Her-
Ian convention.
Secretary Hay had a conference
with the Panama minister late Tues
day night and the general terms of the
treaty were agreed upon.
The contention of the Washington
government that the capital of the new
republic be not located in either
Panama or Colon was not pressed by
Secretary Hay when he found that the
Panama government was earnestly op