Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-01-05
STRONG ARGUMENT
BY THE PRESIDENT


Boxota. repeatedly warned Colombia
thst rave consequences might follow
from her rejection Of the treaty. Al.
though it NJ ! constantly diminish
M chance. yet the possibility Of rat.
iacation did not wholly pass away IN.
III he close u The session q the GO.
Iombian congress.
"A second alternative WAS that by the
close Of the session on the last day
Il October. without the ratification Of
the treaty By Colombia and without
any steps taken BY Panama, the Amer
lean congress on assembling early 10
November would be confronted with :
situation liz which there had been 2
failure to come to terms q TO build
ing The canal along the Panama route,
and vet there hal mot been 4 lapse q
i reasonable time-using the word
reasonable In any proper sense--snch
= would Justify the administration
roink To the Nicaragua route. This
situation seemed on the whole the
most likely, and a. 4 matte. Of TACT ]
had made the original draft Of my
message To the congress with . view
10 lts existence.
Ii was the opinion Of eminent In.
~ternational jurists that IN view Of the
fact that The great design of our guar.
antee Under The treaty 81 1916 was 10
delicate the isthmtis 10 the purposes
of interoceanic transit. and above all
ID secure The construction 81 an inter.
oceanic canal, Colombia could moi IN.
der existing conditions refuse 10 en.
ter into . proper arrangement with the
United States 10 that end, without vio-
lating the spirit and substantially
repudiating the obligations 81 d treaty
the full benefits of which she had en-
joyed for i i fifty years. MY Inten
tion WIS To consult The congress as Il.
whether under such circumstances n
would not be proper 10 announce that
the canal was 10 be dug forthwith
that we would give the terms that
VI had offered and no others; and that
n such terms were not agreed TO We
would enter into m arrangement
with Panama direct, or take what 9TH
er steps were needful in order TO be.
Gin the enterprise.
II was notorious that revolutionary
trouble Of . serious nature was i'm
pending upon the isthmus. But it was
not necessary to rely exclusively up
on such general means ii Information.
On October Is Commander Hubbard
Of the navy notified the navy depart
ment that, though things we're quiet
s&#
on the isthmus, . revelation had
broken out In the state of cauca. on
October ~ At The reques, of Lien
tenant1Generai Young. ! saw Capt. q.
B. Humphrey and Lieut.. Grayson
MalIett.P Provost Murphy. who had just
returned from q four months tour
through the northern portions 81 vene.
zuela and Colombia, They stopped Iii
Panama on their return lii the latter
part Of September All The time they
were sent down there had been no
thought Of their going to Panama, and
their visit 20 the isthmus was but an
unprecedented incident o. their return
journey; nj had they been spoken
10 by anyone At Washington regarding
the possibility 81 q revolt untfl they
landed a. Colon they had no knowl.
edge that a revolution was impending.
save what they had gained from the
newspapers. What they saw III psna
mi 80 impressed them that they re.
ported thereon % HeutenantlGenera
Young. according to his memoir.
andum-
That while on the isthmus they be,
came satisfied beyond question that,
owing largely to the dissatisfaction be.
cause Of q failure Of Colombia 10 raj.
NY the Hay-Herran treaty, . reyo.
'1ufionary party WAS In course Or organ.
sation having for It's object the sen.
ersfion OF the state Of Panama from
Colombia, the leader being Or. Rich.
rrd Arango, . former governor az
sAnama; that when they were on the !
|sthmus arms and ammunition we're
keing srnngeled into the city Of Colon
p plano boxes. merchandise crates
|tc. the small arms received being
Fincipaily the Gras French rife, the
Bennington. and the Msuser; that
early every citizen IN Panama had
pine sort Of . rife or gun IN his nos
ession. with ammunition therefor:
~ 10 the city Of Panama there had
20 Organised . Ore brigade which
g really Intended knr xarnfusio.l