The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-05
WE HOLD THE WAY,
BUILD THE CANAL
Thus in Effect Speaks President Roosevelt in a
Special Message on the Canal to
Congress.

the Isthmus of Darien or across Cen
trail America, and must regard any
such connection or control as injurious
20 the just rights and interests of tire
United States and as a menace TO their
welfare.
Under the -Pauncefote treaty it was
explicitly provided that the United States
should control police, and protect the
canal which was to be built, keeping it
open for the vessels of all nations on
equal terms. The United States thus as
sumed the position of guarantor of the
cana1and Of its peaceful use by all the
HCrI e guaranty included as a mat
ter --rse the building of the canal.
The enterprise was recognized es re.
spending to an international need: and it
would be the veriest travesty on right
and justice to treat the governments in
possession of the Isthfnus as having the
right, in the language of Mr.. Cass, 80
close the gates of intercourse on the
great highways OF the world, and justify
the act by the pretension that these
avenues of trade and travel belong to
them and that they choose to shut them
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 permit
ting the attempt TO be made by private
enterprise, the time for permitting any
government of anti-social spirit and Of
imperfect development to bar the work,
was past. The United States had assumed
N connection with the canal certain re-
sponsibilities not only to its own people,
but TO the civilized world, which impera-
lively demanded that there should no
longer be delay in beginning the work
Second. While Il was settled that tho
canal should be built without unneces-
sary or improper delay. it was no less
clearly shown TO be our purpose to deal
not merely in spirit of justica but in
a spirit of generosity with the people
through whose land we might build II
The Hay -HeTran treaty, If it erred ct all,
erred in the direction of an over -gener-
osity towards the Colombian government.
IN our anxiety to be falr we had gone
to the very verge in yielding to a weak
nations demands 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 Neithoi
IN the Congress nor in the public press,
at the time that this treaty was formu-
lated. was there complaint that it did MOI
in the fullest and amplest manner guar
aEtee 10 Colombia everything that she
Could by any color of title demand
Nor is the fact to be lost sight OF
that the rejected treaty, while gener-
ously responding to the pecuniafy d.
mands of Colombia, in other respects
merely provided for the construction OF
the canal in conformity with the express
requirements of the act of the Congress
of June zS. 1902. BY that act, as ere
toforc quoted, the President was author
lied to acquire from Colombia. for the
purposes OF the canal, perpetual control"
OF certain strip OF land; and it was
expressly required that the control
thus to be obtained should ;ncldda ''juriS
diction' to make police and sanitary regu-
lations and to establish such judicial
tribunals as might be agreed or Tor their
enforcement. These were conditions
Precedent prescribed by the Congress;
and for their fulillment suitable stipula-
tions We're embodied in the treaty 1t
has been stated in public prints that
Colombia objected to these stipulatioIs,
on the ground that they involved re-
hnqulshment OF her Sovereignty; hut
in the light OF what has taken place, this
alleged objection must be considered as
an afterthought In reality, the treaty,
Instead Of requiring a cession of Colon
bias sovereignty over the canal strip,
expressly acknowledged, confirmed, ana
TreSprVad npr co1yapo;o.,t-- ovar
treaty in this respect simply proceeded
on the lines on which all the negotiations
leading up to the present situation have
been conducted. In those negotiations
the exercise by the United States. sub
iect to the paramount rights of the local
sovereign, of a substantial control Owes
the canal and the Immediately adjacent
territory. has been treated as a funda4
might be made. 1t has formed An essen
tai feature of all cur plans, and its rec.
essity is fully Recognised in the Hay
auncefote treaty. The Congress-, in pro-
viding that such control should be Sc.
cured, adopted no new principle, but only
in its legislation a condi-
ton the Importance and propriety OF
which were universally recognized Du"
iEg all the years OF negotiation and dis
cussion that preceded the conclusion OF
the Hay-Herran treaty, Colombia never
intimated that the requirement by the
United States of control over the cana,
strip would render unattainable the con-
stIuction Of a canal by way of the 18th
mus of Panama nor were We advised, dur
ing the months when legislation of 1902
was pending before the Congress, that the
terms which it embodied would render
negotiations with Colombia impracticable.
It is plain that no nation could constru-
ard guarantee the neutrality of the canal