Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07

under Its jurisdictions: third. that through
out this period revolutions. riots, ana rae
tional disturbances Of every kind have oc-
CURED one after the other In almost unin-
terrupted succession, some of them lasting
Tor 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 disturbances instead OF
showing any sign Of abating have tended
to grow more numerous and more serious
In the immediate past: fifth, that the con-
troll of Colombia over the Isthmus Of Pan
ANA could not be maintained without the
armed Intervention and assistance Of the
United States. In other words, the Govern
ment of Colombia, though wholly unable to
tEeless declined to ratify a treaty the con-
clCs1on OF which opened the only chance to
secure its own stability and to guarantee
permanent peace on, and the construction
OF canal across, the Isthmus.
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,
rad IT acted otherwise than it did when the
revolution of November 3 last took place In
Panama. This great enterprise of building
the interoceanic canal can not be held up to
crafty the whims, out Of respect to the
governmental impotence, or to the even
more sinister and evil political peculiarities.
or people who, though they dwell afar off.
yet, against the wish of the actual jewellers
On the lsthmus, assert unreal supremacy
y.
ritory fraught with such peculiar capacities
as the 1sthmus in question carries with it
obligations to mankind. The course Of
events has shown that this canal can not be
built by private enterprise, or by any other
nation than our own: therefore it must be
built by the United States.
Treaty With Panama.
Every effort has been made by the Govern
ment of the United States to persuade Co.
lombia to follow a course which was essen
TALLY not only to our interests and to the
interests Of the world. but to the interests
of Colombia itself. These efforts have fail
ed; and Colombia. by her persistence in
repulsing the advances that have been
made. has forced us, for the sake of our
own honor. and of the interest and we'll
being, not merely of our own people, but of
the people of the Isthmus of Panama and
the people of the civilized countries of the
world, to take decisive steps to bring to an
end a condition Of affairs which had become
ntolerable.
The new Republic of Panama Immediately
offered to negotiate a treaty with us. This
treaty 1 herewith submit BY it our inter-
ests are better safeguarded than in the
treaty with Colombia which was ratified by
the Senate at its last session. 1t is better
In Its terms than the treaties offered to us
by the Republics of Nicaragua and Costa
RIGA. At last the right to begin this great
undertaking is made available. Panama
has done her part. All that remains is for
the American Congress to do it's part and
forthwith this Republic will enter upon the
execution Of project colossal in its size
and of well-nigh incalculable possibilities
for the good Of this country and the nations
of mankind.
Provisions of Treaty.
By the provisions of the treaty the United
States guarantees and will maintain the
independence of the Republic Of Panama
There is granted to the United States in
perpetuity the use, occupation, and control
of a strip ten miles wide and extending
three nautical miles into the sea at either
terminal, with all lands lying outside of the
zone necessary for the construction Of the
canal or for its auxiliary works, and with
the islands in the Bay of Panama. The cit
les Of Panama and Colon are not embra ced
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 1t would possess were 1t the SOW
ereign of the territory to the exclusion of
the exercise of sovereign rights by the Re-
public. All railway and canal property
rights belonging to Panama and needed for
the canal pass to the United States includ-
ing any property of the respective compa-
mics in the cities of Panama and Colon; the
works, property, and personnel of the canal
and railways are exempted from taxation
as well in the cities of Panama and Colon
as In the canal zone and it's der -ndencfes.
Free immigration of the personnel and i'm
portation of supplies for the construction and
operation of the canal are granted. Provi-
sion is made for the use of military force
and the building of Notifications by the
United States for the protection of the
transit. In other details, particularly as to
the acquisition Of the interests of the New
Panama Canal Company and the Panama
Railway by the United States and the con-
demnation of private property for the uses
of the canal the stipulations of the Hay
Herran treaty are closely followed, while
the compensation to be given for these en-
larged grants remains the same bel =, ten
n .llions Of dollars payable on exchange of
notifications; anu, beginning nine years
from that date, an annual payment of
$4,000 during the life of the convention
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
White House,
December z 19n3