Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-04-06

years BY the Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
ratified in December. 1901. IN old
treaty with Great Britain. which had
been held to stand in the way. was
abrogated. and II was agreed that the
canal should be constructed under the
auspices of the government OF the
United States, and that this govern
ment should have the exclusive right
TO regulate and manage IL. becoming
the sole guarantor of its neutrality.
Ii was expressly stipulated. further
more, that this guaranty of neutrality
should not prevent the United States
from taking any measures which II
found necessary in order to secure by
it's own forces the defence OF the Unit
ed States and the maintenance of
public order. Immediately following
this treaty congress passed n law uu-
der which the president was aathoriz-
cd to endeayor To secure a treaty for
acquiring the right TO finish the con
ma canal. which had already been be
gun In the territory of Colombia by a
French company. The rights OF this
company were accordingly obtained
and treaty negotiated with the Re
public of Colombia The treaty has
just been ratified by the senate. II
reserves all of Colombia's right, while
guaranteeing all of our own, and those
Of neutral nations. and specifically
permits us to take any and all meas
ures for the defense of the canal, and
for the preservation of our interests.
whenever in our judgment an eNigen-
cy may arise which calls for action on
our part. In other words, these two
Ireaties and the Legislation to carry
them out. have resulted in our OBJ
tanning on exactly the terms we de
sired the rights and privileges which
we had SO long sought in vain. These
treaties are among the most important
that we have ever negotiated in their
effects upon the future welfare of this
country, and mark a memorable tri-
tmph of American diplomacy-one of
those fort4.nate triumphs, moreover
which rebound to the benefit of the
entire world.
About the same time trouble arose
in connection with the Republic of
Venezuela because of certain wrongs
alleged to have been committed, and
debts overdue. by this republic to
citizens of various foreign powers, no.
tably England, Germany and Italy
After failure 10 reach an agreement,
these powers began blockade of the
Venezuelan coast. and condition of
quasi-war ensued. The concern of
our government was of course not to
interfere needlessly in any quarrel so
far as II did not touch our interests or
our honor, and not to take the atti-
tude Of protecting from coercion any
power unless We were willing to es.
pouse the quarrel of that power, but
to keep an attitude of watchful vigi-
lance and see that there was no in
fringement of the Monroe doctrine-
no requirement of territorial rights by
a European power at the expense of
weak sister whether this ac-
QUESTION might take the shape of an
outright and avowed seizure of terri
tory or of the exercise of control which
would in effect be equivalent to such
seizure. This attitude was expressed
in the two following published memo
randa the first being the letter ad-
dressed by the secretary of state to
the German ambassador, the second
the conversation with the secretary of
state reported by the British ambas-
sador:
Department OF State. Washington. ID.
c., December 1G, 1901.
His EXcellency, DIR. Won Holleben.
etc.:-Dear EXcelency: inclose a
memorandum by way of reply to that
which you did me the honor to leave
with me on Saturday, and am, as ever,
Faithfully yours, JOHN HAY"
Memorandum.
The president in his message of
the 3rd of December. 1901, used the
following language:
The Monroe doctrine is decara-
tion that there must be no territorial
ACKNOWLEDGMENT by non American
power at the expense of any American
power on American soil. 1t is In no
wise intended as hostile to any nation
in the Old World.
The president further said:
This doctrine has nothing to do
with the commercial relations nt any
American power, save that 1t in truth
allows each of them to form such as
it desires. We do not guar
antee any state against punishment
If 1t misconducts itself, provided that
punishment does not take the form OF
the acquisition of territory by any
non-American power
His Excellency. the German ambas-
sador, on his recent return from Ber-
lin, conveyed personally to the presi-
dent the assurance that the German
emperor that his majesty's govern
ment had no intention or purpose to
make even the smallest acquisition
of territory on The South American
continent or the islands adjacent. This
voluntary and friendly declaration was
| afterwards repeated to the secretary
of state, and was received by the pres
ident and the people of the United
States in the frank and cordial spirit
in which 1t was offered. In the memo
randum OF the llth of December His
Excellcncy. the German ambassador
repeats these assurances as follows
We declare especially that under nc
circumst ances do we consider in oui