Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-11-28
THE new CANAL
TREATY IS SIGNED
Hay unau-variiIa Convention
Executed at Home OF
Secretary Hay.
TEXT NOT MADE PUBLIC
However, Keynote Is the Provision o!
Which Panama Codes to v. >.
Whatever Lands Appropriate ]
Building a Canal.


Washington, Nov. 20.-The Hay
Bunau-Varilla isthmian canal treaty
was signed at the home of Secretary
Hay by the secretary n Phlllppe
Bunau-Varilla, minister from Panama.
The treaty in its text can not De
made public at this ome FOR TWO
reasons: az Because of the unWrltten
law which obliges the state department
to await the pleasure OF the senate III
the matter of publicity, and CD because
the president has not yet determined
when the convention shall be submitted
to the senate for ratification. his pres
ent purpose Is to withhold ii until there
Is a reasonable assurance that its con-
sideration will not obstcuct any OF the
legislation for which the present speclal
session Of congress was alled But GER
tain facts-SaVv been disclosed as TO the
provisions of the treaty which make
il appear that in its general outlines the
new Hay Bunau-Varilla convention Is
patterned on the void Hay-Herran
treaty, with the exception hat the new
convention follows not only the spirit
but the letter OF the Spooner act.
United States viii Control.
Thus instead of the lease for a fixed
period of the canal strip this new
treaty provides for a perpetual
lease of the right of way TO the United
States, and instead of a complicated
provision for a court OF mixed compost
ton, half American n half Colom-
bian. to administer justice over the
canal strip, the new treaty permits
the United States government TO ex-
arcise the complete jurisdiction thereon.
The United States may fortify he line
and the terminals, and II may police IL
with troops. The money consideration
is understood 10 be $40, O00,C U. the
canal is to be neutral.
These are understood to be the
terms of the new treaty, which is much
simpler in form than the nun hay
Herran treaty, and has been specially
irawn to meet objections urged against
the VOID treaty.
Ii fact the foregoing summary OF
the substance of the treaty the Asso-
eiated Press is able to give as fairly
representative Of the provisions OF the
document.
Contains twenty-five Articles.
The treaty consists of between
twenty-five and twenty-five articles,
but the main points of the convention
are contained in the first six articles.
The keynote of the treaty is the pro-
vision in ,one of the six articles by
which Panama CedeS TO the United
States whatever land or lands through
out the republic Of PaEama this gov
eminent shall find desirable in connec-
ton with the building or operation and
maintenance of the canal. In addition
the treaty gives to the United States
absolute sovereignty over the cana
strip, which it is understood comprises
between eight and ten miles on each
side of the canal, Within this zone
the power of the United States is as
absolute as if the zone were part and
parcel of this country.
Permission also is given the United
States to fortify the line and the ter
ninals, and ii may police it with troops.
That portion of the treaty dealing
with the Notifications of the terminals
Is rather general, but sufficiently eX-
plicit not to be misunderstood.
The cities of Panama and Colon re-
tain their municipal autonomy under
the republic of Panama SO long as they
maintain public order II sanitary
conditions to the satisfaction Of the
United States.
Washington Comedies.
Failure to do this gives the United
States, according 10 the treaty, the
right to force strict compliance with
the wishes OF this government in this
direction, aud the United States can
ever use force to compel obedience TO
it's rules as to public order and public
health in these cites.
Secretary Hay had a conference with
the Panama minister late last night,
and the general terms Of the treaty
we're agreed on. Secretary Hay was at
first undecided as to whether the
treaty should be an amended form of
tie Hay-Herran convention or an en-
tiIely new paper. This point was de-
cided at a luncheon at the secretary's
house yesterday, at which were pres
ent Secretary Root. Attorney General
Knox and q number of leading sem
ators. Their unanimous opinion was
that an entirely new treaty would be
more favorably received by the senate.
After luncheon n slight change in the
original draft of the treaty was made.
Secretary Hay went to the state de-
partmeut, and after the convention had
been engrossed and the necessary ar
rangemcnts completed for signing that,
he returned to his home with the treaty
in duplicate, there to await the arrival
of the Panama minister.
Will Force Obedience.
The contention Of the Washington
government that the capital of the new
republic be not situated in either Pan
anna or Colon was not pressed by Sec
rotary Hay when ne found that the
Panama government was earnestly OPP
posed to Ii, and the treaty makes no
such provision. This, however, is not
regarded by the secretary as a vital
point, in view of the extensive rights
which the United States has through
out the canal strip and it's especially
wide jurisdiction in the terminal cities.
This is the only point In the negotia-
tions which caused the expression Of a
difference of opinion.
No time will be lost by Panama in
ratifying the new treaty. Whether the
ratification will be made by the gov
eminent at Panama or whether the
commission which arrived will be ca
bled power to ratify il has not yet been
determined. The exchange of ratifica-
tions will occur in Washington.
The Panama minister went to the
station that he might personally well
come the members OF the commission
The minister will introduce them to the
officers of the Washington government.