Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-01-08
SPECIAL MESSAGE
/ ON PANAMA CANAL
President Roosevelt Transmits His
Views to Congress.
TREATY SHOULD BE RATIFIED
Says There Was No Completely on Part
of This Government in Revolution
Charges Colombia with Greed
All interests Demand Canal.

velts special message to congress on the
subject of the Panama canal treaty treats
largely of the Panama rebellion, the in
cidents leading up to 1t aid the part of
the United states in 1t.
He refers to the previous legislation au-
thorizing the president to conclude
treaty with Colombia for the building OF
the canal and If after a reasonable lapse
of time 1t was found impossible to secure
the necessary territory from Colombia to
revert to. the Nicarasuan route for, the
construction of the canal. The later
alternative, he says is now unnecessary,
rs 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 ef
secure, so far as legislation was con-
cerned an interoceanic canal across the
for this purpose. with one of the Central
American republics did not stand on the
same footing with the effort to secure
Under the Hay-Paunoefote treaty 1t
was explicitly provided that the United
States should control. police and protect
the canal which was to be built, keeping
: 1t open for the vessels of all nations on
equal terms. The United States thus
sumed the position of guarantor of the
canal and OF its peaceful use by all the
world. The guaranty Included as a mat
ter OF course, the building sof the canal.
The enterprise was recognized as re-
spending to an international need; and it
would be the veriest travesty on right and
Justice to treat the governments in pos
session of the isthmus as having the right
ito close the gates OF Intercourse on the
great highways of the word 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:
built The time for delay, the time for
permitting the attempt TO be made by
ia fTF 8fVNer
any government of anti-socal spirit md
of imperfect development to bar the work,
In connection with the canal certain re-
sponsib.ities not only to its own people,
,.hut to the civilized world. which impera
: lively demanded that there should no
longer be delay in beginning the work:
"Second-While It was settled that the
or mproper delay, it was no less clear
merely in a spirit Of justice but in a spirit
whose land we might build 1t. The Hay
Herran treaty, II it erred at all. erred in
wards the Colombian government in oar
p anxiety to be fair we had gone to the very
verge in yielding TO a weak nations de
mands what that nation was heiplessly
unable to enforce from us against our
will. The only criticisms made upon the
administration for the terms Of the Hay
much to Colombia, not for failure to grant
enough. Neither in the congress nor in
treaty was formulated, was there COM
plant that 1t did not in the fullest and
amplest manner guarantee 10 Colombia
everything that she could by any color of
Nor is the fact to be lost sight of that
the rejected treaty, while generously re-
spending to the pecuniary demands of Co
lombia. in other respects merely provided
for the construction of .he canal in con-
formity with the express requirements of
the act of the congress OF June 2s, 1902
BY that act. as heretofore quoted the
rcd n
Colombia, for the purposes OF the canal,
perpetual control of certain strip of
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-
stipulaticns were embodied in the treaty
It has been stated in public prints that
on the Eroupd that tSev H Inv inyoVed dusA reiin %
qulshment OF her 'sovereignty but in the
light OF what has taken place. this alleged
thought. In reality, the treaty, instead
of requiring cesslon of Colombia's SOW
acknowledged, confirmed. and preserved
her sovereignty over 1t. The 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, subject to the paramount
stantial control over the canal and the
Immediately adjacent territory, has been
treated as fundamental part of any ar
rangement that might be made. 1t has
formed an essential feature of all our
plans, and its necessity is fully recognized
in the -Pauncefote treaty. The con-
gress. in providing that such control
should be secured, adopted no new princi-
pie, but only Incorporated in its lesisla-
tion a condition the Importance and pro-
priety Of which. were universally recog-
pized. During all the years OF negotiation
!! hnd discussion that preceded the conclu-
zion of the Hcy-Herran treaty, Colombia
never intimated that the require ment by
the United States of control over the ca
nal strip would render unattainable the
construction of canal by way of the
during the months when legislation of 1902
was pending before the congress, that the
terms which It embodied would render ne
gotations with Colombia impcacticablA
1t is plain that no nation could construct
and guarantee the neutrality of the canal
with a less degree of control than was
stipulated for in the Hay Herran treaty.
A refusal to grant such degree of control
was necessarily refusal to make any
therefore squareiy raised the question
whether Colombia was entitled to bar the
transit of the worlds traffic across the
''That the canal itself was eagerly de-
manded by the people of the locality
through which II was to pass and that
the people of this locality no less eagerly
longed for its construction under Amer
3ty of action in the new Panama repub-
JIG. Furthermore. Colombia, after having
sejected the treaty in spite of our pro-
tests and warnings when 1t was in her
power to accept it, has since shown the
utmost eagerness to accept the same
treaty II only the status quo could be re-
stored. One of the men standing highest
in the official circles of Colombia, on No
Vember g. addressed he American min
dster at Bogota, saying that II the gov
ernment OF the United States would land
troops TO preserve Colombian sovereignty
and the transit, the Colombian govern
ment would declare martial law; and.
ity, whea public order is disturbed.
Iwouldl approve by decree the ratlhca-
ton of the canal treaty as signed; or.
If the government of the United States
prefers Iwouldl call extra session of the
congress-with new and friendly mem
bers--neXt May to approve the treaty
Having these facts in view. there is no
shadow of question that the government