The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-04
TAFT'S MISSION
ON THE ISTHMUS
ANYTHING BUT AN EASY ONE.
MANY JEALOUS INTERESTS TO BE
BROUGHT TOGETHER.

tween the Governments VIII Dis
appear Under the COnciIintory
Policy That Will Probably Result
from the Investigations by the
Secretary of War.
| Washington. Dec. 3.-There is no
doubt that a few months ago the prin-
| cipal men in the Panama government,
together with the leading merchants
of the little republic, were basing all
their hopes for a betterment of condi-
tons on the isthmus on a change of
administration at Washington.
| In the short year of it's existence as
a nominally independent republic PAN
anna has undergone various expert
ences, arising principally from its COM
pick relations with the United States.
that have somewhat dampened the first
ardor of the isthmians for self-gov-
eminent.
The commerce of Panama has fallen
off and the expected revenues of the
republic have been curtailed-all ow-
ing, the Panamans assert. to an ex-
IRENE Interpretation of the Roosevelt
administration on the isthmus that if
continued would threaten their ma
tional existence.
Complaints of the "Big stick"
The natives complained that they
were being treated to an unmerciful
| quantity of the big stick" which they
feared would be increased in severity
should President Roosevelt be re-
elected. This fear, however has I'M
dergone a decided modification since
election day through the expressed de-
sire of the President to establish a bet
ter condition of affairs between the
native and American governments on
the lsthmus, change to be brought
| about by an Interpretation of the
Panama treaty that will be more lib
| eral to the Panama republic.
The sending of Secretary Taft to
| the isthnuS on this mission has
awakened the hopes of the Panamans,
and there are indications that the ex-
isting friction between the govern
ments will gradually disappear under
the more conciliatory policy that will
probably result from the Secretary's
| Investigations
Taft'S Easy Job.
Compared with his Philippine mis-
sion Secretary Taft will probably find
the regulation of Panama affairs any
thing but an easy problem. In the
Philippines there is only one supreme
| power-that of the United States.
On the Isthmus. however, there is
the native government, even jealous of
its rights as an independent, republic
| and there is the canal zone running
through the heart of the latter and
falling under the jurisdiction of the
Canal Commission, with certain i'll
defined treaty provisions that some
Panamans construe as giving them, in
shadowy sense, a claim to this por-
ton of Isthmian territory.
Canal Zone Rights.
Ever since the indictment Of the
| steamer Loa in July, the government
of the canal zone has maintained the
right to receive and dispatch foreign
vessels from the port of Ancon with
out the intervention of the Panama
authorities. In the same month also,
by the Presidents order to General
Davis, the latter was empowered to
establish tariff on imports at the
ports of Ancon and Cristobal, the tariff
to be the same as that In force in the
| United States.
Great was the dismay of the Panama
merchants at these proposed changes.
| Panama and Colon would be ruined,
they said, and therefore commerce of
the Republic would be completely
wiped out. A three cornered diploma
| tic controversy was entered into by
the Panama government, Minister
| Barrett and Governor Davis, resulting
finally in modus vivendi pending the
complete settlement of the treaty
| questions between the two govern
ments.
Fear of American Tariff.
Up to now the fear that the Ameri-
can tariff will be applied to the zone
| and that the claims OF the Panama
| government in the matter will fail of
recognition has operated disastrously
| in the commerce of the isthmus. Mer-
! chants are complaining bitterly of the
uncertainty under which they are COM
| PEELED to do business and agents from
! foreign countries find it impossible to
| get orders for their goods Gen. Davis,
| in the diplomatic correspondence with
Secretary of State Arias on the sub
| ject, cites the cases of Switzerland and
| Canada and the Baltic ports of Russia
/ in winter as evidence that a country
| can prosper without a foreign COM
merce. But these historical arguments
/ have failed so far to quiet the alarm
of either the merchants or the gov
eminent of Panama, or to reconcile
them to what appears to be their fate
and the solution of the problem ap-
pears to be reserved for Secretary