The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-27
PROCLAIMS
PANAMA CANAL TREATY
Everything Now in Shape to Begin
Completion of the Big Ditch
Between Oceans.
TREATY PUT IN EFFECT

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-President
Roosevelt at II so a. m. to-day signed the
proclamation putting into effect the treaty
with Panama regarding the isthmian canal.
AS soon as the proclamation was signed it
was returned TO the State Department.
where the exchange of notifications already
had taken place between Secretary of State
Hay and Minister Bunau-Varilla of Pan
anna. The Cabinet was in session when
the proclamation reached the White House
from the State Department. Secretary Loeb
took the document to the President and
he signed it Immediately.
The President may not send to the Sen
ate his appointments on the isthmian canal
commission before the first of next week.
He has been informed by telegraph that
Benjamin NJ. Harrod, of New Orleans. has
mailed to him a statement regarding the
charges preferred against Mr.. Harrod. I'm
til he has received this statement and given
it consideration the probability is that the
official announcement of the personnel of
the commission will be withheld. Even in
the absence of the statement, however.
President Roosevelt is fairly assured that
the charges made against Mr. Harrod are
not of sufficient weight TO warrant him in
withdrawing the tender made to him of a
position on the commission. Ii is believed
c0n1denty that Mr.. HarrOd will be the
seventh member of the body.
Following is the proclamation signed by
the President:
Whereas. A convention between the
United States of America and the Republic
of Panama to insure the construction Of a
ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama
to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
was concluded and signed by their respec-
| tive plenipotentiaries at Washington on the
18th of November. 1903, the original of which
| convention, being in the English language,
Is word for word as follows: Here follows
the text of the treaty.l
And whereas, the said convention has
been duly ratified on both parts and the
notifications of the two governments were
the twenty-sxth day of February, one
thousand, nine hundred and four; Now,
therefore, be it known, that /, Theodore
Roosevelt, President of the United State of
America, have caused the said convention
to be made public to the end that the same
and every article and clause thereof may
be observed and fulfilled with good faith by
| the United States and the citizens thereof. "
From the State Department Minister
Bunau- Varilla, with the exchange copy of
| the treaty under his arm, drove to the cable
| office and rendered his resignation as min
lister from Panama at Washington to the
| president of the republic in the following
| cablegram:
1.-THE exchange of ratification of the
| treaty has taken place to-day at 10:45, thus
| finishing the accomplishment of my duty to-
ward the Republic Of Panama. l request
| =
| L have expressed in my letter of Nov p
| last, to the Department of Foreign Affairs
to accept my resignation from to-day and Ia
send me by next mail my letters of recall. -
Replying to an inquiry why the Panama
| government was not TO receive to-day, In
| accordance with the terms of the treaty, the
| 100000 which this country has pledged
! itself to pay, the minister said
For two reasons. First. because 1 had
| informed the officials that were a check fol
this amount handed me / should be com.
PEELED to return il because / have said al
along that did not care to be connected IL
any way with the financial dealings arising
from the canal sale. and further becaus.
| the government of Panama has not yet de-
| cided on a programme for the investment
| of this sum, and therefore would prefer tina
IL should not be transferred for the present
| "A second reason is the necessity Of ac
| complishing certain legal formalities with
| the Panama Canal Company which the at
| torney general of the United States think,
| should be settled simultaneously with tn,
| payment of the purchase price. For this rea
| son the preference of the Panama govern
/ ment that the money be held in trust her,
for the present is in harmony with tn,
| wishes of this government"