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

Gers and enlisted men are learning to han
die the battleships, cruisers and torpedo
boats, with high efficiency in fleet and
Workmanship is being steadily raised.
but the highest duty Of NAVAL officer is
to exercise command at sea- ="
1t Is eminently desirable, however. that
there should be provided a naval general
stan on lines similar to those of the general
stan sta lately created for the army. Within
the service have brought about a system
under which the duties of general stan
are partially performed for the bureau Of
college, the office of naval intelligence and
the board of inspection, and has been in
nayS tGR1h t With the general board Of the
GERS at their head. these boards and bureaus
DO good work. they have not the authority
OF general staff, and have not sufficient
scope to insure proper readiness for
emergencies. We need the establishment
oy law or a body OF trained officers, who
Snail exercise sss systematic control Of the
lzed ADVISERS of the secretary concerning it,
The Isthmian Canal.
BY the act of June %, 1902, the congress
authorized the president to enter into
treaty with Colombia for the building Of
It being provided that in the event of
failure to secure such treaty after the
i EhoM,a Of II a., reasonable time recourse
Nicaragua. 1t has not been necessary to
consider this alternative, as am enabled
to lay before the senate a treaty provid-
ing ing Tor the building Of the canal across
route which commended itself to the de-
liberate judgment Of the congress. and
we W can now acquire by treaty the right
Inc question. now. therefore. is not by
which route the isthmian canal shall be
5 putt t., for that question has been definite
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 con-
troll of the 1sthmus OF Panama. This
purpose has been fulfilled.
Isthmian Treaty Obligations.
In the year 1916 this government en-
tered into treaty with New Granada.
the predecessor upon the Isthmus Of the
Republic of Colombia and OF the present
Republic of Panama. by which treaty it
was provided that the government and
ways have free and open right of way
or transit across the Isthmus of Panama
by any modes of communication that
might be constructed. while in return our
government guaranteed the perfect neu-
tralfty of the above-named isthmus with
the view that the free transit from the
one to the other sea might not be inter-
ed in the United States a substantial
property right carved ont of the rights Of
sovereignty and property which New
said territory. The name of New Gran
ada has passed away and its territory
has been divided. It's successor, the gov
eminent of Colombia. has ceased to own
republic. that Of Panama which was at
one time a sovereign state. and at an
other time a mere department of the sue
Granada and Colombia, has now succeed
ed to the rights which first one and then
the other formerly exercised over the
dures, the mere geographical fact Of its
existence, and the peculiar interest there
in which Is. required by our position,
perpetuate the solemn contract which
spect our right to freedom of transit
across 1t. and binds US in return to safe
guard for the isthmus and the world the
exercise of that inestimable privilege
The true Interpretation of the obligations
upon which the United States entered in
this treaty of 1876 has been given repeat
eddy In the utterances of presidents and
For 400 years. ever since shortly after the
| discovery of this hemisphere. the canal
| across the isthmus has been planned. For
When made 1t Is to last for the ages. 1t is
to alter the geography of continent and
the trade routes of the world. We have
| shown by every treaty We have negotiated
or attempted to negotiate with the peoples
in cantrol of the isthmus and with foreign
nations IN reference thereto our consistent
the one hand to the peoples of the isthmus,
and on the other hand to the civilized world
whose CONNIE rcial rights We are safe
guarding and guaranteeing by our action.
| We have done our duty to others in letter
| and spirit, and We have shown the utmost
forbearance in exactins our own rights.
Colombia's Reputation of Treaty.
| Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred to, treaty concluded between the
representatives of the Republic Of Colon
by the senate. This treav was entered
into at the urgent solicitation Of the PEG.
perts appointed by our government es.
pecially to 20 into the matter of the
routes across the isthmus had pro.
route aTsn I'D f fs
every concession was made to the people
and to the government of Colombia We
were more than just in dealing with
make it serious question whether we
had not gone too far in their in.
terest at the expense of our own: for il
|
heed. not merely to the real but even t
the fancied rights of our weaker neigh
Dor. who already owed so much to oul
protection and forbearance. we yielded
! in all possible ways to her desires ir
drawing up the treaty. Nevertheless the
government of Colombia not merely
repudiated the treaty, but repudiated il
In such manner as to make it evident b,
the time the Colombian congress ad
journed that not the scantiest hope re-
manned of ever getting a satisfactory
treaty from them. The government o.
Colombia made the treaty. and yet wher
the Colombian congress was called t
ratify 1t the vote against ratification wa:
unanimous. 1t does not appear that thu
| government made any real effort to se
| cure ratification.
Revolution in Panama.
Immediately after the adjournment OF
the congress revolution broke out IL
Panama: The people Of Panama hac
Of Colombia, and they had been KEEP
quiet only by the prospect of the con.
clusion Of the treaty. which was to them
eyde OF vital tbat When It be-
literally as one man. Not a shot wa
fred by single n: man on the isthmus in
ment. Not life was lost in the accom-.
plishment of the revolution The Colon.
bian t troops stationed on the isthmus
VINO VINO had had long G.t been en- unpaid. made com
and with astonishing unanimity the new
republic was started. The duty of the
United States in the premises was clear
In strict accordance with the principles
laid down by Secretaries Cass and Seward
in the official documents above quoted
the United States gave notice that 4
/ would permit the landing of no expedi-
tionary force, the arrival Of which would
mean chaos and destruction along the
line of the railroad and of the proposed
canal, and an interruption of transit a.
| an inevitable consequence. The de factC
government of Panama was recognized
In the following telegram to Mr.. Ehr-
| man:
! THE people of Panama have by appar-
entity unanimous movement, dissolved their
political connection with the republic OF
| Colombia and resumed their independence
| When you are satisfied that de facto gov