Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-14
THE PANAMA REPUBLIC.

w
THE PANAMA REPUBLIC.
In view of the recent important
developments in the isthmus and the
criticisms that are being made for par
tisan purposes against the course
adopted by the government of the
United States, it is interesting and in
structive to recall few comments
made previous to the consummation of
the present revolution in Panama. Be-
fore the new government was estab-
lished the Review of Reviews said Of
the situation in Panama:
In every real crisis for half a cen
fury the United States has been the
guardian of the Isthmus of Panama as
a focus of the international trade. The.
Panama railroad has always been an
Am erican institution, and it has play
ed a great part as link of commerce
between the Atlantic and Pacific. Old
treaties, rigidly maintained and re-
spected on our part, have made us the
guarantors of order at Panama, and
have alone prevented chaos. But for
the United States, Colombia would
have lost the isthmus long ago. The
present behavior of Colombia as re-
spects the canal is in fatal contraven-
ton of the rights and interests of the
people living in the Panama province.
as well as in defiance OF the needs and
interests of the commercial world,
which would like to use a ship canal
across the isthmus. Colombia has no
rights or concerns on the Isthmus of
Panama excepting those expressed in
the technical claims OF sovereignty
In commenting on the same subject
that publication said a month ago;
"Our wiser policy would have been
long ago to have countenanced the sep
aration of the Isthmus of Panama, and
it's international naturalization under
the auspices and protection of the
| United States. for the benefit of its
people, for the welfare of international
commerce, and for the good alike OF
| the inhabitants of North and South
America. = = The best thing they
(the people of Panama) could do
would be to make prompt and deter
mined effort to detach themselves
| from Colombia; and it would be alb.
! surd for the people of the United
States to pretend that they did not
| look with favor upon SO righteous and
so excellent a proposition. The Pan
anna people would like to get rid OF
the sovereignty of Colombia and they
deserve our sympathy and good will il
an aspiration SO meritorious.'
Previous to last week the above sen
| timents might well be said TO have
/ expressed the consensus of opinion o
the Am erican people with regard t.
~ - d., ,lry dor M
There is therefore, no good reason
why retrospective view of the Pana
ma rebellion should cause American
to change their views concerning thu
establishment of new government OF
the isthmus.
In reviewing the last half century o
history in the isthmus it is seen tina
, the United States has saved the prov
ince of Panama to Colombia seyera
times by interfering in times of rev
olution. The treaty between the Unit
!; ed States and New Granada made
. obligatory upon the former country t
keep the Panama railway open to tn
traffic of commerce and under thi
; agreement the United States has sen
warships and landed soldiers on tn
t isthmus under the pretext of mair
tanning peace but in effect holdin
Panama under the sovereignty OF Co
ombia.
There is no reason why the Unite
! States should not have recognized tn
, new Panama government. The pei
!. pie of that province have abundar
!, reasons for desiring and declarin
: their independence. The constitute
: under which Panama became PAL
of Colombia has long since becom
void by the substitution OF militar
dictatorship utterly devoid of tn
forms of a democracy Then too,
l. has long been the custom OF nation
d the world over to recognize de fact
S. governments in South America. Eve
S, in recognizing the Colombian govern
S, ment the United States countenance
* an administration that was doing bus
a. ness in any way but regular manne
s. 1t has been the policy of nations to
is business with the organized tactic
1T that seemed at the moment to posse
n. the forms of government and the
t. hold such negotiations as blndlng al
v, regular This course has been four
at necessary by reason of the fact OF Il
instability of government in Sou
is America and the frequency OF reyol
IN tons. The action of the Unit
,e1 States in recognizing the governme
m in Panama set up by its own peop
sy is only in accordance with the esta
%. lished custom
-, -
ne THE FINANCIAL SITUATION.
I 10 .pi