Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-01-12

. Presidents Canal Message
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Congress a special message regarding
the isthmian canal. The Presidents ar
gument may be summarized as follows
Colombia's refusal TO ratify the Hay
Herran treaty was part OF a scheme To
confscate the property of the French
canal company and so obtain the
$40,000000 authorized by the act of Con
gress OF 1902 TO be paid for the property
of that company, in addition TO the com
pensation to be paid by the United States
for the privilege of completing the canal.
This was not only contrary TO the inter
ests of the United States. but it would
have involved Colombia with France, a
friendly nation. against whose interfer
ence we should have been compelled by
the treaty of 1876 to interpose. thus in
yiting a serious war. As Colombia was
thus acting in bad faith with us, we
were no longer bound to act in good faith
with her.
As matter of fact, however, we did
keep faith with Colombia as long as it
was possible TO 90 so. Under the treaty
of 1916 our sole duty was TO guarantee
the neutrality of the isthmus and TO keep
interoceanic traffic free and uninterrupt-
ed, and in landing troops on the isthmus
during the revolution that is all we did.
AS between the Colombians and the rev.
olutionists our troops maintained strict
neutrality.
The general rule is sound that new
state should not be recognized as indie
pendent till it has shown its ability to
maintain its independence. But there are
exceptions, and this was one of them.
Our departure from the rule was justi-
fed by three reasons-viz, our treaty
rights, our national interests and safety,
and the interests of collective civilization
After discussing these reasons in elab-
crate detail, the President says:
I'm my opinion no disnterested and
fairminded observer acquainted with
the circumstances can fail to feel that
Panama had the amplest justification for
separation from Colombia under the con-
ditions existing, and moreover that its
action was in the highest degree bene-
fetal to the interests of the entire civil
lied world by securing the immediate OPP
portunity for the building of the inter
oceanic canal"
But, says the message in effect, what
ever may be thought of the action taken
by the administration. whatever was
done has been done and cannot be UNI
done. Meanwhile, the only question now
before us is the ratification of the treaty.
"The question, and the only question,
says the President. SIS whether or not
we shall build an isthmian canal
The Messag. in Detail.
The message begins by recalling the act
of Congress ITO provide for the construc.
tion of a canal connecting the waters OF
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, approved
June %, 1902 This act provided that the
President should obtain the property or
the Panama Canal Company and the per
petual control of n strip six miles wide
across the isthmus of Panama. This con
troll" says the message, has now been
obtained. the provision Of the act has been
complied with" Then are quoted again
the words of Secretary Lewis Cass In 1858,
quoted I'm the last annual message, TO the
effect that the local government OF the
isthmus has no right to 'cloSe the gates OF
Intercourse on the great highways of the
world by the pretension that
these avenues of trade and travel belong TO
them" Quotation is also maee Of the Sen
ate resolution, passed In 1899 wnen 1t was
proposed that France should guarantee the
bonds of the canal company, that the
government of the United States will look
with serious concern and disapproval upon
any connection OF any European govern
ment with the construction or control OF
any ship canal across the 1sthmus of
must regard any such connection or con-
troll as Injurious to the just rights and
interests Of the United States and as
menace to their welfare.
treaty Was Too Generous.
Under the Hay Pauncefote treaty the
message continues, ut was explicitly pro-
vided that the United States should con-
troll, 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 assumed the position of
guarantor of the canal and Of its peaceful
use by all the world. The guaranty In
Guided as a matter OF course the building
of the canal"
Then follows an elaborate defense of the
Hay Herran treaty, showing that It erred
on the side Of overgenerosity to Colombia,
and that it was, indeed, so fine thing for
Colombia that after having rejected the
treaty in spite of our protests and warn
ings when 1t was in her power to accept 1t,
Colombia has since shown the utmost eager
ness to accept the same treaty II only the
status quo could be restored" Then fol-
lows a significant sentence Il pass by
the question as to what assurance we have
that they would now keep their pledge
and not again refuse to ratify the treaty
If they had the power, for. of course, |
will not for one moment discuss the posi-
billty Of the United States committing an
act of such baseDess as to abandon the
new republic of Panama"
Anticipating the Revolution.
Now the message shows that II Is no
longer possible, under existing legislation
to consider constructing the canal on the
Nicaraguan route. 1t must be Panama or
nothing. Such being the case, when it be-
came apparent that Colombia was not GO
Ing to ratify the treaty, the President in
tended Ito consult the Congress as to
whether II would not be proper
to announce that the canal was to be dug
forthwith; that we would give the terms
that we had offered and no others; and
that If such terms were not agreed TO we
would enter into an arrangement with Pan
anna direct, take what other steps were
needful In order to begin the enterprise"
The revolution In Panama, OF course,
made this unnecessary, but the point is
that, revolution revolution. the Presi-
dent prepared to take such action
This fact, as the President hints, Is proof
hand in bringing the revolution about He
says that, of course, the government had
knowledge of the state of feeling In Pana
ma, but that Of the plans for revolution
it had no information that was not pro-
cured by the newspapers and was, there
fore, a matter Of common notoriety. Here
come numerous citations of newspaper dis
patches, published In August, September
and October, all announcing that revolu-
ton was at hand. On Oct. 10 the Presi-
dent interviewed two American army off,
GERS who had just returned from Panama,
and their recital confirmed the newspaper
reports -
sent to our naval officers In the vicinity to
Before any step had been taken by our
troops to restore order after the uprising
had actually occurred, "the commander OF
the newly landed Colombian troops had In
dulged In wanton and violent threats
against American citizens, which created
serious apprehension These threats came
from Colonel Torres, and they were TO the
effect that he would open fire on the city
of Colon and "kill every American citizen
in that place" Nothing happened, how
ever and little later Colonel Torres Tex
pressed himself as most friendly TO Ameri-
cans claiming that the whole affair was a
Misrepresentation" This sudden change OF
front, which was, probably due to the fact
that the Nashville was patrolling the water
front, ready to shell the town, did not,
however atone for the ''grossness Of this
outrage and the insult to our dignity" as
Commander Hubbard expressed 1t In his
report.
All this, says the message. shows fur
Their that instead OF there having been
too much provision by the American gov
eminent for the maintenance Of order and
the protection Of life and property on the
isthmus, the orders for the movement OF
the American warships had been too long
delayed: so long. in fact, that there were
kr.t Cor ~ "A lab