Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-04
FROM PRESIDENT
Message Devoted to the
Panama Question.
COLOMBIA S POLICY
An Act of War Committed
by Her Troops.
THREATS OF MASSACRE
OUR NEUTRALITY SHOWN BY OF
FICIAL MESSAGES AND REPORTS.
Vigorous Denial Of Any Completely in
the Revolution - Canal is
Essential to Us. --......
THREATS OF MASSACRE
OUR NEUTRALITY SHOWN BY OF
FICIAL MESSAGES AND REPORTS.


The Presidents message on the Panama
question. submitted to Congress today, was
as follows:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
lay before the Congress for it's informa-
ton statement of my action up to this
time in executing the act entitled AN act
to provide for the construction of Il canal
connecting the waters of the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans" approved June 2S, 1902.
BY the said act the President was au-
thorized to secure for the United States the
property of the Panama Canal Company
and the perpetual control of a strip miles
wide across the Isthmus of Panama. 1t
was further provided that should the Pres
ident be unable to obtain for the United
States a satisfactory title to the property
of the New Panama Canal Company and the
control of the necessary territory of the
Republic of Colombia within a rea-
sonable time and upon reasonable terms,
then the President should endeavor to pro-
vide for canal by the Nicaragua route.
The language quoted defines with exactness
and precision what was to be done, and
what as matter of fact has been done.
The President was authorized to go to the
Nicaragua route only if within a reasonable
time he could not obtain control Of the
necessary territory of the Republic of CO.
lombia." This control has now been OBJ
tanned; the provision of the act has been
complied with; 1t is no longer possible un-
der existing legislation to go to the Mica
ragua route as an alternative.
This act marke5 he cI;,nav oP tho 4. efor+
on the part of the United States to secure,
so far as legislation was concerned an in
teroceanic canal across the Isthmus The
effort to secure a treaty for this purpose
with one of the Central American republics
did not stand on the same footing with the
effort to secure a treaty under any ordi-
nary conditions. The proper position for
the United States to assume in reference
TO this canal, and therefore to the gov
ernments OF the lsthmus. had been clearly
set forth by Secretary Cass in 1858
In my Annual Message / have already
quoted what Secretary Cass said; but re-
peat the quotation here, because the prin-
cipie II states is fundamental:
While the rights of sovereignty of the
states occupying this region Central Amer
lca) should always be respected we shall
expect that these rights be exercised in n
SPiit ptilttiIiS tIe occasion and The ia
ana circumstances that have arisen Sow
ereignty Mas its duties as well as IT'S rights
and none of these local governments even
IL administered with more regard to tho
Just demands of other nations than thev
have been, would be permitted in q sp,rit
OF Eastern isolation, to close the gates of
intercourse on the great highways of the
WorId, ana justify the act by the pretension
that these avenues of trade and travel he
ionS 10 them and that they choose 10 shut
w ho 10 rI-
cunat'er them with such unjust relation. as
would prevent their general use.
The principle thus enunciated by Score
tary Cass was sound then and # il sound
now The United States has taken the no
sition that no other Government is to bnjIa
the canal. In 1889. when France pronosed
to come TO the aid of the French Panama
Company by guaranteeing their bonds, the
Senate of the United States in executive
session, with only some three votes dissent
ing, passed resolution as follows:
That the Government of the United States
VIII look with serious concern and dis9n-
provaI upon any connection of any Furo-
pean government with the construction or
control OF any ship canal across the 18TH
mus of Derien or across Central Aneric.
ana must regard any such connection or
control as injurious to the Just rights and
interests of the United States and as a men
ace TO their welfare.
Position of Guarantor.
Under the Hay-Pauncefote treaty if 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 assumed the posi-
non or guarantor OF the canal and OF its
peaceful use BY all the world The guar
anty Included as a matter of course the
building OF the canal The enterprise was
recognized as responding to an interna-
tonal need; and it would be the veriest
trSvesty on right and justice to treat the
governments in possession of the Isthmus
rs having the right. in the language of Mr..
Cass. Ito 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 Co.
lombia the Hay-Herran treaty threes things
were. therefore. already settled
One was that the canal should be built
The time for delay, the time for permitting
the attempt to be made by private enter
prise, the time for permitting any govern
menf of anti-sOcisl spirit and of imperfect
Development TO bar the work, was past.
The United States had assumed In connec-
tion with the canal certain responsibilities
not only TO It's own people, but to the civil
ized wcrid. which imperatively demanded
that there should no longer be delay In
beginning the work.
Second While it was settled that the
canal should be built without Unnecessary
or improper delay 1t was no less clearly