The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-14
Gives His Views on Treaty As- gOtiatiOns in Opening MGs-
 sage to Congress
WORK MUST BE DONE BY
 UNITED STATES ALONE
If Government Fails to Come to an "Aureement With Us, We Must Forthwith Take the Matter
 Into Our Own Hands"

Washington. November 1S-For several weeks President Roosevelt has been in preparation of his annual message to con- gross to be presented at the opening ot the regular session on the first Monday of December. That part of the message in which the President discussed the negotia- tions between the United States and Coz lomba for the isthmian canal treaty, It ia stated was completed about two weeks ago. Events which have occurred on tho isthmus and in this country since that time have made it necessary for the Pres ident to completely rewrite that part of the message touching the canal negotia- tions. In the opening sentence of his dis cussion of the negotiations with Colombia the President said:
 ''I regret to report that contrary to all expectations the government of the re- public of Colombia refused to ratlfy the treaty for building a canal across the isthmus of Panama" Then after stating that the treaty had been negotiated at the earnest request of the government of Co., lombia and subsequently, was disapproved by the Colombian senate, the President said that the powers exercised by the United States under the treaty of ls4B were so large in the protection of transit across the isthmus that 1t sometimes had been questioned whether 1t was necessary now to obtain treaty for the purpose of building canal. Continuns, he wiotes
 According to Authorities.
 High authorities on international law hold that the canal can be dug as an incident to exercising the power to pre- vent the obstruction of traffic across the isthmus Nevertheless. In accordance with our settled policy of behaving with scrupulous fairness and generosity toward our weaker sister republics of the south, taking no position that can even by im- pication be treated as unfriendly unless literally forced thereto, we have endeavor- ed to provide for the building of the canal by treaty. In this treaty we went as far as 1t Is possible for the United States to go in the direction of making concessions to the United States of Co., lombia. No further concessions can or should be made by this government
 The President then states that the cir cumstances of the canal case were peeu- liar The canal, he said, must be dug. It was demanded by the interests of this nation and by those of the civilized world. The United States had solemnly pledged its word that 1t would be free to the commerce of the world. "reserving to ourselves merely the right to see that it shall never be used to our military dis advantage"
 U. s. Must Dig Canal. "A private company which in the past undertook to build the canal, has failed. The events of the past few years war rant us now in saying not only that the canal shall not be constructed by any foreign government, but that it is not to be constructed by any private company. It therefore must be dug by the govern- ment of the United States"
 Referring further along to the terri tory bisected by the canal the President wrote.
 "On the one hand. the United States desires to safeguard with scrupulous care the interests and the honor of such coun- try or countries. On the other hand. in my judgment. 1t Is time to declare that the beginning of the canal cannot be- much longer delayed This nation does not desire to be unreliable or impatient. but 1t cannot and will not permit any body of men permanently to obstruet one of the great world highways of traffic and refusal to permit the building of the canal amounts to such obstruction. Of course, to Insist upon unreliable terms Is equivalent to refusal"
 Spooner Law.
 Adverting to that phrase of the spooner
 
 have reasonable time to determine be- tween the Panama and Nicaraguan routes. the President wrote:
 Reasonable time in the case of such an enterprise as this enterprise which has been thought of for nearly four centuries. which has been planned in detail and worked al for half century, and which. when completed will endure for ages, and will change the geography of hemis- phere and the trade routes of the world. must of course mean whatever time Is necessary to convince ourselves that the course we are following is wise and prop CT It seems evident that in a matter such as this we should finally decide which is the best route, and if the ad- vantages of this route over any other possible route are sufficiently marked. we should then give notice that we can no longer submit to trlhing or insincere dealing on the part of those who in the accident of possession are placed in tenn porary control of the ground through which the route must pass; that if they will come to agreement with us in aightworward fashion we shall in re- turn act not only with justice but with generosity; and that If they fail to como 10 such agreement with us we must forth with take the matter into our own