Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-05
THE MESSAGE.
President Roosevelt on the
Proposed Panama Canal.
Gives Congress His Ideas As to What
Our Country Needs
And the Quickest and Best Way to
Accomplish It.

Congress on the Panama canal STU
alton:
To the Senate ana House Of Repre-
sentativos:
Law before the Congress tor It's IN
formation statement Of my act'l up
To this time in executing the act en-
titled "An act to provide for the coz
c,ruction Of a canal connecting the
waters OF the Atlantic and Paciii"
oceans" approved June %, 19o-.
Py the said act the President vas
,utboriz.d 10 secure for the United
states the property of the Panama
Canal Company and the perpetual coz
troll OF strip miles woe across "
Isthmus Of Panama. 1t was further
providnd that should the President De-
unable to obtain for the United states
q satisfactory title to tn" property "l
the New Panama Canal Company ana
the control Of the necessary territory
az the Republic Of Colombia
within q reasonable time and upon
reasonable terms, then the PreSlGen,
should cndeavor to provide for canal
nv the Nicaragua route. The IAN
"uage quoted defines with eXactneS'
ana precision what was to u" aoilr'
and what. as a matter OF fact. mas pe'h
done The President vas authorlZ-d
10 go to the Nicara qua route only Il
within a reasonable time he couIf nor
obtain control of the necessary terri
tory Of the Republic Of Colombia.
This control has now been obtailieh'
the provision of the act has been CON-
rlied with: it is no longer possible uh-
der existing legislation to go to the
NicaragI1a route as an alternative.
This act marked the climax Of the
effort ON the part Of the United states
IN secure 50 far rs legislation "a5
concerned. an interoceanic canal across
,ba Isth,nus. Theeffort was to secure a
treaty for this purpose with on" OF the
Central American republics did not
stand on the same footing with u"
effort 20 secure. a treaty under amy
ordinary conditions. The proIfr
nosition for the United States to as
sumo in reference to this canal, ana
therefore to the governments of tie
Jsthmus. had been clearly set forth ~
Secretary Cass in 1858. In my Annual
Message | have already quoted what
SECRETARY cass said: but ! rrpeat the
quotation here. because the principi" 1t
states is fundamental:
While the rights of sovereignty %
the states occupying this rt'%l"'i
Central America should always -
respect II. we shall expect that th"s'
rights be exercised in Il spirit b"tlttiuf
the occasion ana the wants and rir-
cumstances that have arisen. Soy
cr.irutv has its duties as we'll rs il :
rights. ANA none nf thes" local govern
-. Uni ct arpI with
regard To the lust commands of ",h":
nations than they hay" be- u. W"NIn -
nermitted. in u spirit of Eastern $50
IatfOn. to loS. the gates OF intercourse
on the great highways of TN" world.
and Justify the act by the pr"t"nSi".'
that these avenues of trad" and traN"i
belong to them and that they choose I"
shut them. or. what is almost equiv
alent. to cucumber them with such w
lust relations as would prevent tn"f
general use.
The principle thus "nunciated ~
Secretary CasS was sound then and u
is sound row The Tinted States ha|
taken the position th;tt II" otner GOV
errmen, is to build the canal. In iNNH
when France proposed To com" I" Inc
aid OF the French Panama '"mran>
nv guaranteeing their bonds. the sen
ate of the United states in "N@rutiE"
session. with only som" thrr" N"t"+
dissenting. passed Il resolution as i"l
lows:
That the Government OF II" ! nlt"d
States will look With serious concern
and disapproval upon amy Connerl oN
of any European government with tn
construction or control Of anT Shil
canal across the Isthmus Of Darien o.
across Central America. and must re-
gard any such connection or controt q
injurious to the just rights and inter
ests of the United States and as "
menace to their welfare.
Under the Hay-Pauncefote treaty il
was explicitly provided that the United
States should control. police, and pro
tcct the canal which was to he butt
keeping it open for the vessel: of n
nations on equal terms. The United
States thus assumed the position oi
yuaraptor Of the canal and of n>
peaceful use by all the word. III
guaranty included as a matter O
course the building of the canal. The
enterprise was recognized as respond
ing to an International need: ana L
would be the veriest traVeSty on rlgh
and Justice to treat the governments II
possession of the Isthmus rs having
the right in the language of Mr.. Cass
ito close the gates of intercourse OF
the great highways of the world. an'
Justify the act by the pretension tina
these avenues of trade and travel be
long to them and that they choose Il
shut Them"
When this Government submitted L
Colombia the Hay-Herran treaty three
things were, therefore, already settled
One was that the canal should b.
built. The time for delay. the time 70
permitting the attempt to be made b.
private enterprise. the time for per
hitting any government of anti-socia
spirit and Of imperfect development I
bar the work. was past. The Unite
States had assumed in connection Wit
the canal certain responsibilities no
only to its own people. but to the civil
ICED world. which imperatively de
manded that there should no longer b
DELAY in beginning the work.
Second. While il was settled tina