The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-28
TROUBLE ON THE IsTHMUs.

That there would be trouble on the isthmus of Pan
has been quite certain for some time past and the
only surprising is that has been long in coming
to head They get up revolutions order everywhere
down in those ATTITUDES; and the status of the Panama
canal treaty nducement too strong to be over
looked
That the treaty has not been ratified is due to the
inability of the Colombian authorities agree
division of the spos We fail to realize in this country
the utter absence of anything corresponding to idea
OF popular government in these little socalled republics
of Central and South America well the utter cor
rupton of those who chance to hold because tenn
porary in control of the puan army that constitutes
the state Therefore apt to be wrong in Our
judgments and foolish in expectations where these
governments are concerned.
The canal treaty has been regarded solely by Coon-
bia piece of possible plumber too rich to be tr1fed
away When representatives of that country talked about
their national interests involved, they to be I'M
agned winkng the other eye From first to last they
have had but questions before them first could
money than the United States offered be got out OF it
either by threats by cajolery; second how should the
money that could be got be up the Colombian
patriots themselves?
While these great issues of craftsmanship being
decided the outside world has heard very little about the
canal treaty its prospects. Nowhere else in
Russia, is the censorship of complete in
of these little capitals where the dictator for the time
being who calls himself president, is absolute autocrat
So Colombia shut down reports of proceedings until
these little arguments between friends should have been
decided.
1t could also be prophesed without risk that the de-
bate the treaty would to peaceful finish
There bound be There not enough
money in the proposition of the United States satisfy
all the Colombian leaders, and division of what there
was would satisfy all of them. The dissatisfied had only
to get up revolution Moreover, there strong
possibility that in this way the malconents could get all
the loot Themselves well good precedent for them
to follow.
SURPRISED
ent is administered in those quarters that the
of the sthmus through which the canal route did
rebel and set themselves up in independent bust
time ago. 1t has been done before little
revolution would make them republic all by them
selves; the United States would be bound recognize
them if the former central government could bring
them into subjection and then they would have
nopOy of the canal and be able appropriate all
the payments for canal concessions that might be
prepared to make
Something of this sort has happened or is happening
There is politics in it, but just plain Doodle. The
Colombian factions bound to fight it determine
which of them shall control the only valuable they
have namely the canal franchise. Peaceable delibera
ton has failed the whole project is in danger of failure
and whoever control the biggest fragment of the
insignificant army of the country will prevail
1t need not surprise any to find that the practical
consequence of canal negotiations will be the separa
ton of Columbia into two distinct and warning
of them composed of the provinces along the
canal That solution of the trouble is obvious
that they develop in the lower ATTITUDES of the continent