The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-06
The Panama Critics.
Senator Lodge Answers Their Objec-
lions in a Powerful Speech.

tASAS A. a OPNSNh-
1t has seemed good to Senator
Lodge to take up the gauntlet flung
down by Senator German Just before
the holidays, and incidentally to meet
the objections of various critics of the
Administration to the Presidents !
Panama policy. His speech on this
subject will cause a feeling of salts
faction among friends of the Admin
istration by the completeness with !
which it covers the ground. If the
critical attitude of the opponents of
the Administration were anything less
than constitutional, they would prob
ably let the matter go without further
argument.
Senator Lodge is not merely an ora
tor; he is a statesman and an his
torian. The array of precedent, of
fact, and of argument which he
brought forth in refutation of the
somewhat vague and vituperative ac-
cusations of the critics must have
startled some of them. The speech IS
worth careful study by any enc who
wants to get at the whole truth re-
garding the Panama Republic and the
reasons for its recognition.
The point which is especially worth
emphasizing in this connection, how
ever, is this: There has been more
or less general impression in this
country, gaining ground of late, that
man need not have any particular
technical knowledge of craftsmanship
IL order TO be a successful legislator;
that if he is able and keen-witted In
ordinary business it viii be all right
to put him IN the Senate This is true
to certain degree. In the discussion
of some of the affairs of this country,
affairs which affect primarily business
interests, interstate commerce, and
the development of the country in q
commercial way, practical knowledge
is often worth more than any sort of
Theoretical wisdom. a man may be able
To consider the best means Of extermi-
mating the boil weevil, or vote on
river and harbor bill, or devise ways
for restricting immigration, without
ever having been outside his own
State or studied anything but business
until he came to Congress. A keen
witted, honest man can also judge ac-
curately Of the merits Of larger ques-
tons than these, when he hears the
arguments on both sides. That Is
what government by the people, Of the
people, and for the people means.
But there comes a time now and
then, especially when international
relations or questions of the larger
political economy are involved, when
the country needs imperatively men
who have stu1ied craftsmanship as a
science, who are read in the history of
diplomacy, who have a thorough
knowledge of the precedents for
! diplomatic action. In such matters
we cannot afford 20 rely on snapshot
Judgments or partial information.
The defense Of any Administration
action, undertaken on basis of mere
sentiment and rhetoric, might easily
be made ridiculous by opponents
yeTsed in international law, or by the
Well-trained statesmen Of foreign
countries, even if the Administration
were Enthusiastically in the right
There Is no political action which
cannot be criticised from some point
of view, and the answer TO the critic
should be made as full and as fair
and as comprehensive as it can be
made.
Senator Lodges speech is such an
answer. There is no clever Juggling
Of words in it to make the worse APP.
pear the better reason, though there
are some singing sarcasms. The ar
guments are soldly buttressed with
facts. Following up the recent Pan
anna message, il comes as a distinct
notification that the friends of the
Administration, not content with pas
sive waiting for time to make clear
the inevitability Of the recognition of
Panama, are ready for aggressive and
fearless defense Of our position, and
ready, even eager, to have the whole
thing threshed out before the people,
as it ought TO be. There is no hole
and corner business In the manage