The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1904-09-13
PANAMANS WRATHFUL.
Arbitrary and overhearlng Deport'
ment Of Canal Commission
Causes Feeling In Panama.

The Atlanta Constitution prints the
following special from Panama; A
Crisis Is at hand in the affairs OF Pana.
ma. The most important question az.
fecting the future of the republic will
be settled during the next two weeks.
Public feeling has been aroused to
foyer pitch. II has now cooled down
partially, but 1t is eagerly awaiting
the outcome of the negotiations be-
tween John Barrett, minister OF the
United States, and Don Thomas Arias,
the Panama secretary of government.
For time 50 excited were the PEG.
pie Of Panama that there were open
threats Of another revolution and OF
a return to the jurisdiction Of Colum.
ba.
The issue under discussion is the #.
tai one of control Of the ports or har
bors at the two ends of the canal
Panama claims that, according to ar.
ticle Of the treaty, they arc hers and
must be under her jurisdiction aud so
yereignty in order to protect her reye-
nues and foreign trade. The commits.
sion insist that article 2 has no such
meaning and that II will be impossible
for tho United States to construct
and control the canal unless II has
absolute authority over the two en-
frances.
AS preliminary steps for an under.
standing the American minister, by the
exercise Of tact and consideration for
the interests of Panama, has gained
the confidence of the Panama govern.
ment and people. The dlstrust and
bitterness toward the United States
grew out of the autocratlc methods
and acts of the commission. Mr. bar.
rett undoubtedly prevented an armed
clash between Panlmans and somo
port and police officials that would
have created q sensation in the United
States and awakened intense feeling
in Panama against the Americans.
Acting as a sort OF mediator or buf.
fer, between the abrupt. undiploma.
tic methods of the commission and the
gentle Latin ways of the Panama gov.
eminent leaders, who are as sensi.
tive OF their independence and dignity
as II their country were as large as
Mexico or Great Britain, Mr. Barrett
has saved President Roosevelt from
the criticism of acting arbitrarily AMI
imperlously in the administration OF
the zone.
While 1t is generally conceded that
Admiral Walker, General Davis and
their associates are able men and suit
cd for control Of the construction of
the canal II is freely asserted, in both
official and private circles at Panama.
that they are evidently not schooled
in diplomacy. They are too inclined
TO treat Panama as a subordinate and
dependent section of the United States
and not like an independent state, as
INV NANaNg Dibhlutos any DOug lbHillluT
with Latin statesmen and people can
readily understand why, therefore. the
commission ran against dangerous
snag when It tried to pilot the zono
ship OF state into the channel OF sue.
cessful existence. Don Thomas Arias,
the head of President Amadors cabi.
net, Is known to have said that Admi.
raj Walker and General Davis, al.
though meaning well, seemed TO regard
him as the governor of some Amerl-
can colony instead as the principal dl.
plomatic officer of an Independent gov.
and that 1t was only since
the arrival of the American minister
that the United states had commenced
to transact diplomatic business with
Panama as It would with any other
state.