Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-12-07

service ne.
the Army ard Navy.
The effect Of the laws providing a
/ general s,aN for tie army and for the
more effective Use of the national guard
has been excellent. Great improve
4 ment has been made in the efficiency
l Of cur army in recent years. Such
schools as these erected at Fort Leav-
enworth and Fort Riley and the insti-
tuition of fall uaneuyer work accom-
| plish satisfactory results. The good eff
I feet of these maneuvers upon the ma
| tional guard is marked, and ample ap-
| preparation should be made to enable
the guardsmen of the several states to
| share in the benefit. The government
! should as soon as possible secure suit
| able permanent camp sites for military
maneuvers In the various sections of
the country.
l heartily congratulate the congress
upon the steady progress in building
up the American navy. We cannot
! afford let-up in this great work. To
stand still means to go back. There
should be no cessation in adding to the
| effective units of the fighting strength
Of the fleet. Meanwhile the navy de-
partment and the officers of the navy
are doing well their part by providing
constant service at sea under condi-
lions akin to those Of actual warfare.
| Our officers and enlisted men are learn
| ing to handle the battleships, cruisers
and torpedo boats with high efficiency
in fleet and squadron formations, and
the standard of craftsmanship is being
steadily raised. The best work ashore
is Indispensable, but the highest duty
Of q naval officer Is to exercise COM
mand at sea. 1t is eminently desirable
that a naval general staff should be
established.
Isthmian Canal.
BY the act of June o. 1902, the con-
gress authorized the president to enter
into treaty with Colombia for the
building of the canal across the 18TH
mus of Panama, it being provided that
In the event Of failure TO secure such
treaty after the lapse Of reasonable
time recourse should be had to build
Ing a canal through Nicaragua. 1t has
not been necessary to consider this al
tentative, as | am enabled to lay be-
fore the senate a treaty providing for
the building of the canal across the
isthmus Of Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the
deliberate Judgment of the congress-
and we can now acquire by treaty the
right to construct the canal over this
route. The question now, therefore, is
not by which routeathe isthmlan canal
shall be built, for that question has
been definitely and lrrevocably decid-
ed. The question is simply whether or
not we shall have an isthmian canal.
When the congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia the essence Of
the condition, of course. referred not
to the government which controlled
that route. but to the route itself; to the
territory across which the route lay,
not TO the name which for the moment
the territory bore on the map The
purpose of the law was to authorize
the president to make a treaty with the
power in actual control of the istbmus
Of Panama. This purpose has been
fulfilled.
For 400 years, ever since shortly after
the discovery of this hemisphere, the
canal across the isthmus has been
planned. For twoscore years ii has
been worked at When made II Is 20 |
last for the ages. It is TO alter the |
geography of a continent and the trade |
routes Of the world We have shown |
by every treaty we have negotiated or |
attempted to negotiate with the peO-
Piles in control of the isthmus and with
foreign nations in reference thereto our
consistent good faith in observing our
obligations, on the one hand to the PEG
Piles of the isthmus and on the other
hand TO the civilized world, whose COM
mercial rights we are safeguarding ana
guaranteeing by our action. We have
done our duty to others In letter and In
spirit, and we have shown the utmost
forbearance in exacting our own rights.
of Treaty by Colombia
Last spring treaty concluded be-
tween the representatives of the re-
public of Colombia and Of our govern
ment was ratified by the senate. This
treaty was entered into at the urgent
solicitation Of the people of Colombia
md after body Of experts appointed
1y our government especially to 60 into
he matter Of the routes across the
sthmus had pronounced unanimously s
n favor Of the Panama route. In draw I
ng up this treaty every concession was
made to the people and to the govern
nent Of Colombia. We were more I
han just in dealing with them. Our {
was such as to make It q q
erious question whether we had not b
zone too far In their interest at the ex- 4
'ense Of our own, for in our scrupulous S
lesirc to pay all possible heed not d
merely to the real but even to the 2
ancied rights Of our weaker neighbor.
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