Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-12-12

sage is lucid and full, congratulatihg
the country on the high efficiency be-
ing reached.
The Navy.
The needs Of the navy are set forth
In strong manner. much emphasis
being laid on the need for war vessels
of modern constructions.
Receipts and Expenditures.
The receipts of the Government have
been in excess Of the expenditures for
the year, and a safe balance is on the
right side.
Public Land Laws.
Our public land laws need revision
sadly. A great deal OF fraud has crept
into their administration. and scandals
are common. 1t is urged that they be
thoroughly revised.
Isthmian Canal.
BY the act Of June 2S, 1902. the Con-
gress authorized the President to en-
ter into treaty with Colombia for the
building OF the canal across the
Isthmus of Panama; 1t being provided
that In the event of failure to secure
such treaty after the lapse of rea-
sonable time recourse should be had
to building canal through Nicaragua.
Il has not been necessary to consider
this alternative, as | am enabled to
lay before the Senate a treaty provid-
Ing for the building of the canal across
the Isthmus Of Panama. This was the
route which commended itself to the
deliberate judgment Of the Congress,
and we can now acquire by treaty the
right to construct the canal over this
route. The question now, therefore, Is
not by which route the lsthmian canal
shall be built. for that question has
been definitely and irrevocably de-
cided. The question is simply whether
or not We shall have an Isthmian
canal.
Provisions Of Treaty.
BY the provisions of the treaty
the United States guarantees and will
faintain the independence of the Re
public of Panama. There Is granted
to the United States In perpetuity the
use, occupation anu control of o strip
ten miles wide and extending three
nautical miles into the sea at either
terminal, with all lands lying outside
Of the zone necessary for the con-
struction of the canal or for its aux
iliary works, and with the islands In
the Bay of Panama. The cities OF Pan
anna and Colon are not embraced In
the canal zone, but the United States
assumes their sanitation and, in case
of need, the maintenance Of order
within the granted limits all the
rights, power. and authority which
It would possess were 1t the sover-
eign of the territory to the exclusion
Of tho exercise Of sovereign rights by
the Republic. All railway and canal
property rights belonging to Panama
and needed for the canal pass to the
United States, including any proper.
ty of the respective companies In the
cities Of Panama and Colon; the
work., property, and personnel nj the
canal and railways are exempted
from taxation as well In the cities of
Panama and Colon as in the canal
zone and its dependencies. Free i'm
migration of the personnel and impor-
tation of supplies for the construction
and operation of the canal are grant
ed. Provision Is made for the use Of
military force and the building of for.
tifications by the United States for
the protection of the transit. In other
details, particularly as to the acquisi-
ton Of the interests of the New Pan.
anna Canal Company and the Panama
Railway by the United States and the
condemnation of private property for
the uses Of the canal, the stipulations
of the Hay-Herran treaty are closely
followed, while the compensation to
be given for these enlarged grants re-
mains the same, being ten millions
of dollars payable on exchange Of rat.
fications; and, beginning nine years
from that date, an annual payment of
S25O,OO0 during the life of the conven.
ton.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
White House. Dec. z. 1903.