Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-12-09

entered into its treaty with New Granada.
During that time the governments OF New
have been in a turmoil. The experience OF
over half century has shown Colombia
to be utterly incapable Of keeping order
ference Of. the United States has enabled
her to preserve SO much as sembiance Of
sovereignty: Had 1t not been for the ex-
power in her interest, her connection with
the isthmus would have been sun
dered long ago. In 1856, in 1860, in 1873. in
1855, IN 1901, and again in 1902 sailors and
forced to land in order to patrol the 18TH
mus, to protect life and property and to
see that the transit across the isthmus was
the Colombian goverpment. asked thatsthe
United States government would land
troops to protect its interests and maintain
orcer on the isthmus. Perhaps the most
extraordinary request Is that which has
just been received and which runs as fol-
lows:
Co10mbia's Latest Proposition.
Knowing that revolution has already
commenced in Panama ian eminent Co
the United States viii land troops to pr g.
serve Colombian sovereignty, and the
transit. If requested by Colombian charge
dafIaaires. this government will declare
Is disturbed. will approve by decree the
ratincation OF the canal treaty as signed;
prefers. will call extra session of the con-
gress--with new and friendly members-
next next NAY NAY TO approve the treaty. IAN emf
ne nen Hc has the perfect confidence
necessary Will 60 to the isthmus or send
representative there to adjust matters
along ahs above lines to the satisfaction Of
This dispatch is noteworthy from two
standpoints. Its offer Of im1-sdiately
guaranteeing the treaty. to US is in sharp
uous refusal of the congress which has lust
closed its sessions to consider favorably
such a treaty; 1t shows that the govern
solute control over the situation, but did
not choose to exercise this control. The
dispatch further calls on us to restore or
the isthmus from which the Colombian gov
eminent has just by it's action decided to
bar US by preventing the construction of
the canal
Important to Us.
The control in the interest of the COM
merce and traffic of the whole civilized
world. of the means of und!sturbed
transit across the isthmus of Panama
has become of transcendent Importance
to the United States. We have repeated
in the course of domestic dissension, and
by protecting the territory from foreign
invasion. In 1858 Mr.. Everett assured the
Peruvian minister that we should not
hesitate to maintain the neutrality of the
1sthmus in the case of war between Peru
and Colombia In 1864 Colombia, which
has always been vigilant to avail itself
fs ts PH the it M
event of war between Peru and Spain
the United States would carry into eff
f ha;ta the he's guaranty Of neutrality. There
state department in which this treaty
has not. either by the one side or the
other. been used as a basis Of more or
Mr.. Fish in 1871 that the department OF
state had reason to believe that an at
tack upon Colombian sovereignty on the
isthmus had, on several occasions. been
averted by warning from this govern
ment. In 1885, when, Colombia was, under
the menace Of hostilities from Italy In
the Cerruti case. Mr. Bayard expressed
States Serious eoud not Tea ba the n5sd
pean power should resort to force against
sister republic of this hemisphere. as
to the sovereign and uninterrupted use OF
q part Of whose territory we are guar
antors under the solemn faith of a treaty.
The above recital of facts establishes
beyond question:: First. that the United
tiently and in good faith carried out its
obligations under the treaty of 1916: Sec
ond. that when for the first time it be-
came possible for Colombia to DO any
peatedly rendered to it for 81 years by
the United States. the Colombian gov
eminent perenptorily and extensively re-
90 "a wo 70 1. its part even
tase and immeasurably to the advantage
OF the state of Panama, at that time un.
DER ITS IT,, jurisdiction: third. that through;
out this period revolutions, riots, anC
fractional disturbances Of every Kind have
occurred: one after, the other in almost
unlntefrupted succession. some of then
lasting for months and even for years
while the central government was unable
to put them down or to make peace with
the rebels: fourth, that these disturb
ances instead Of showing any sign OF
anating have tended to grow more
diate past; fifth. that the control OF
Colombia over the Isthmus of Panama
could not be maintained without the
United States. In other words, the gov
eminent Of Colombia, though wholly un.
able to maintain order on the isthmus
has has y, net vert declined to ratify
the only chance to secure its own stabil.
ity and to guarantee permanent peace
on, and the construction of cana
across, the isthmus.
ment of the United States would have been
guilty of folly and weakness, amounting
in their sum to crime against the nation
had 1t acted otherwise than It did when
place In Panama. This great enterprise o1
building the interoceanic canal cannot be
held up to crafty the whims, or out OF
respect to the governmental impotence
or to the even more sinister and evil polit-
lcal peculiarities of people who, though
they dwell afar Off. yet, against the wish
of the actual jewellers on the istEmus, as
sert an unreal supremacy over the terri.
tory. The possession of a territory 1raught
with such peculiar capacities as the 18TH
mus IN question carries with it obligations
shown that this canal cannot be built BY
private enterprise, or by any other nation
than our own; therefore it must be BULL
by the United States.
Provisions of Panama Treaty.
Every effort has been made by the gov.
eminent Of the United States to persuade
Colombia to follow course which was
to the interests Of the world, but to the in.
terests Of Colombia itself. These efforts
have failed; and Colombia, by her persist
been madef has forced us. for the sake OF
our own honor, and OF the interest and
well being, not merely Of our own people
anna and the people of the civilized coun-
tries of the world, to take decisive steps
to bring to an end a condition Of affairs
which had become intolerable. The new
negotiate q treaty with u.s.. This treaty
herewith, submit. ssRy<it our interests are
better safeguarded than in the treaty with
Colombia which was ratified by the sen.
ate at its last session. It is better in Its
terms than the treaties offered to us by the
republics of Nicaragua and Costa Rica
At last the right to begin this great under.
taking Is made available. Panama has
done her part. All that remains Is for thu
American congress to do its part and forth.
with this republic will enter upon the exc.
cution of a project colossal in its size ant
Of well-nigh incalculable possibilities fol-
the good of this country and the nation!
of mankind.
BY the provisions Of the. treaty the United
States guarantees and will maintain the
|sindependence9of. the republic Of Panama
perpetuity the use, occupation and contro
Of a strip ten miles wide. and extending
three nautical miles into the sea at eithel
the zone necessary for the construction 8
the canal or for its auxiliary works. ant
with the islands In the bay of Panama