The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1904-01-09
SPECIAL MESSAGE
ON PANAMA CANAL
President Roosevelt Transmits His
Views to Congress.
TREATY SHOULD BE RATIFIED
says There Was No Completely on Fart
of This Government In Revolution
-Charges Colombia with Greed
All Interests Demand Canal.

Sup1ttN OF tue Il NaAlol NAtoAN NANoNS
largely Of the Panama rebellion, the in
cidents leading up to 1t and the part OF
the United States In It.
He refers 10 the previous legislation au-
thorizing the president to conclude
treaty with Colombia for the building OF
the canal, and II after a reasonable lapse
of time It was found impossible 10 secure
the necessary territory from Colombia to
revert TO the Nicaraguan route for the
construction OF the canal The later
alternative, he says, is now unnecessary,
as the control OF the necessary territory
at Panama has been secured Referring
TO the rejection OF the treaty with CO.
lombia by that nation, he says:
This act marked the climax Of the eff
fort on the part OF the United states 10
secure, so far as legislation was con-
cerned, an interoceanic canal across the
isthmus. The effort TO secure a treaty
for this purpose with one OF the Central
American republics did not stand on the
same footing with the effort to secure a
treaty under any ordinary conditions.
Under the Hay Pauncefote treaty II
was explicitly provided that the United
States should control, police and protect
the canal which was to be built keeping
II open for the vessels OF all nations on
equal terms. The United States thus as
sumed the position OF guarantor OF the
world. The guaranty included as mat
ter OF course the building OF the canal
The enterprise was recognized as re-;
spending TO an international need; and 1t
would be the verest travesty on right and
justice TO treat the governments In pos
session OF the isthmus as having the right
TO close the gates OF intercourse on the
great highways OF the world. and justify
the act by the pretension that these ave-
nues OF trade and travel belong to them
and that they choose to shut them
Position Of United States.
when this government submitted to
Colombia the Hay Herran treaty three
things were, therefore. already settled
"One was that the canal should be
built The time for delay, the time for
permitting the attempt to be made by
private enterprise, the time for permitting
any government OF anti-social spirit and
OF imperfect development 10 oar the work,
was past. The United States had assumed
In connection with the canal certain re-
sponsibilities not only to It's own people,
but to the civilized world. which impera-
lively demanded that there should no
'Second-While II was settled that the
canal should be built without unnecessary
or improper delay 1t was no less clear
merely in a spirit OF Justice but in a spirit
of generosity with the people through
whose land We might build It. The Hay
lIthNS, u II tIItu III All tIItu III
the direction OF an over-generosty to-
wards the Colombian government In our
anxiety TO be fair we had gone to the very
verge In yielding to weak nations de
mands what that nation was helplessly
unable TO enforce from us against our
will. The only criticisms made upon the
administration for the terms OF the Hay
Herran treaty were for having granted too
much TO Colombia, not for failure to grant
enough Neither In the congress nor In
the public press, at the time that this
treaty was formulated, was there com
plant that II did not In the fullest and
amplest manner guarantee to Colombia
everything that she could by any color Of
title demand,
the rejected treaty, while generously re-
spending to the ID cuniary demands OF Co
lombla, In other respects merely provided
for the construction OF the canal In con-
formity with the express requirements OF
the act OF the congress OF June & 1902.
BY that act, as heretofore quoted, the
president was authorized TO acquire from
Colombia, for the purposes OF the canal,
perpetual control OF a certain strip OF
land; and Il was expressly required that
the control thus to be obtained should
include Jurisdiction to make police and
sanitary regulations and TO establish such
judicial tribunals as might be agreed on
FOR their enforcement These were con-
ditions precedent prescribed by the con-
gress, and for their fullhllment suitable
stpulations were embodied In the treaty,
II has been stated IN public prints that
Colombia objected to these stipalations,
on the ground that they Involved reln-
quishnent OF her sovereignty but IN the
Hight OF what has taken place, this alleged
objection must be considered ~ an after.
thought, In reality, tho treaty, instead
OF requiring n cesslon Of Colomblas SOW
sreignty over the canal strip, expressly
acknowledged, confirmed and preserved
her sovereignty over IT, The treaty In this
respect simply proceeded on the lines on
which all the negotiations leading mp to
the present situation have been conducted
In those negotiations the exercise by the
United states subject TO the paramount
slantial control over the canal and the
Immediately adjacent territory, has been
treated as "A fundamental part OF any ar
rangement that might be made. has
plans and It's necessity is fully recognized
In the Hay.Pauncofote treaty The con.
gress, IN providing that such control
pie, but only Incorporated In Its legisla.
tion condition the Importance and pro.
priety OF which were universally recoE.
and discussion that preceded the concIu-
sion OF the ay.lIerran treaty, Colombia
never intimatod that the requirement by
the United States Of control over the ca
nal strip would render unattanable the
construction OF canal by way Of the
lsthmus OF Panama, nor were we advised,
during the months when legislation Of 1909
was pending before the congress, that tho
terms which II embodied would render ne.
gotiauons with Colombia lmpfacteab,e
II j. plain that no nation could construct
and guarantee the neutrality OF the canal
with n less degree Of control than Mas
stipulated for In the Hay .horrnn treaty,
A refusal 60 grant such degree OF control
was necessarily refusal 10 make any
practicable treaty at all Such refusal
therefore souately raised the question
whether Colombia was entitled 20 bar the
transit OF the worlds traiile across the
i.thmus
'"fhat the canal Itself WAS eagerly dc.
manded by The people OF the locality
through which Il was to pass and that
the people OF this locality no less eagerly
longed for It's construction under Amer
lean control are shown by the unAnlm-
tiy Of action In the new Panama repub.
lac. Furthermore. Colombia, after having
rejected the treaty IN. spite OF our pros
tests ana warnings when II was In her
power 10 accept II, has since shown the
utmost eaRerneHs 10 accept the same
stored, one Of the men standing highest
IN the offlclal circles Of Colombia on No
vembor q, addressed the American min.
lister at NoEQta, saying that II the GOV.
eminent OF the United states would land
troops 20 preserve Colombian sovereignty
and the transit the Colombian govern
ment would declare martial law, and,
by virtue OF Neeled constitutional author
10y, when public. order Ia disturbed,
would approve by decree the raiineas
ton Of The canal treaty ~ slgsed or.
II the government OF the United states
prefcfs, would can extra session VI the
congress WIN new ANA friendly mcms
p,srsr,net, May 70 approve ne treaty
shadow .of question that the government
~ the United Rlales pF0pBfed treaty
which was not merely Just but generous
70 Colombia, which our people regarded
as eitint' II AL ALL on the side OF ever