The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1904-01-15
SPECIAL MESSAGE
ON PANAMA CANAL
President Roosevelt Transmits His
Views to Congress.
TREATY SHOULD BE RATIFIED
Says There WAS W. Completely ON Part
of This Government Ia Noiution
-CbnrEcs Colombia with Greed
.-An Interests Demand Canal.

subject OF tie Panama canal treaty treats
largely OF the Panama rebellion. the In
cidcniH leading up to II and the part OF
the United states In a.
lie refers to tho previous legislation au-
thorizing the president 10 conclude a
treaty with Colombia FOR the building Of
Tho canal. and " after a reasonable lapse
Of tint u wan found Impossible &c secure
the necessary territory from colombia TO
revert 10 the Nicaraguun route for the
construction OF the canal. Tho later
alternative. ho says. "a now Unnecessary.
as the control Of the necessary territory
AZ Panama has been secured. Ecfcfring
TO iho rejection Of the treaty with Co.
iombla by that nation. he says:
This act marked the climax Of the ef-
fort on the part o. the United States 10
secure. 30 far as l'gia,atlon was com
c'fncl. an intgruCear.c canal across tho
uthmus The omort to secure a treaty
for this purpose with ono Of the Central
American republics dld not stand ON the
famu footing with tho Cnort 90 secure a
treaty under any ordinary conditions
"Cnd,r the Hhy-ruuncefoto treaty II
was explicitly provided that tho United
states should control police and protect
the canal which was to be- built. accepting
II open Tor the vessels Of all nations on
equal terms. The United States thus IA
sumtd tho position % guarnntor Of the
canal and OF It's peaceful use by all the
world. The guaranty Included as a mat
ter OF course the building OF the canal.
Tho enterprise was recognized as re-
spending 20 an international need. and II
would be the vcricst tr,vcsty on rlght pos
Justice to treat the governments In pos
session OF the lathmus as having the rgat
TO close the gates OF intercourse or :he
great highways Of the world, and jgsilfy
the act by the pretcnsion that 'thcsi ave-
nues OF trade and travel belong - them
aud that they choose to shut them"
IsaslsIau nf United stusSA
"when this government submitted 70
Colombia the Hay-licrran treaty three
things were. therefore. ALREADY settled:
zone was that the canal should be
built The timo for delay, the time for
permitting the attempt TO BE- made by
private enterprise. the time Tor permitting
uny government OF anti.syclal spirit and
OF Imperfect development - bar the work,
IN connection Will the canal certain ~.
,ponsiblliilcs not only TO ,ltr own people,
lively demanded that there should no
Longer be Delay IN beEluning tho work;
"sCcond-M h!Io u MAS httt.rl thnt the
or improper delay, II was no .Nss clear.
y sHSwn 10 Dc our bn1Gosa ~ asai III.
OF generosity With no people through
whose Ian wo might build t. The llay-
Icrran treaty, n II erred At all, erred In
wards the colombian government. In our
anxiety to he fair We had gone TO the very
verge In yielding TO 4 weak nations De-
unable to enforce from Us against our
will. TITO only criticisms made Upon the
administration for the terms q tte Hay.
much TO Colombia, not for f1i.ut. to grant
.nonsa Neither N ihe eGngr.S, nor u
treaty was formulated. Was there com.
plant that II dId not IN the fullest aud
everything that she could by any color Of
tito demand
mandcd by the people OF the locality
through which i was TO pass. and that
the people OF this locality no less eagerly
longod for It's construction under Amer
lean control. are shown by tho unaniIn-
lty OF action In tho new Panama rcpub-
lie, Furthermore. Colombia, after having
. feJas'e ana mo S01 5rgniy IN Mh sp''S OF our p6 5or
power to accept II, has since shown tho
utmost oagcrncss to accept tho same
treaty II only the status quo could be re-
storod. one OF tho men standing highest
in tho official circles OF Colombia. on No
ycmbcr & addressed tho American min
eminent OF thu United States would land
troops. To preserve Colombian sovereignty
and the transit, the Colombian govern
ment would declare martial law; and.
by virtue OF vested constitutional author
ny, when public order is disturbed.
ton Of the canal treaty as signed. or.
IL tho government OF the United States
prefers, lwouldl call extra session Of the
wis hANAA hNh hAAA AAs'NAtg W'Nll
bers--noNt May to approve the treaty.
Having these facts IN view. there is no
shadow OF question that the government
which was not merely Just. but generous
20 Colombia, which our people regarded
as erring, II At all. on the side OF over
generosity; which was hailed with de-
light by the pcoptc OF the immediate
locality through which the canal was to
pass, who were most concerned az 10 the
new order of things. and which tho Co
lombian authorities now recognize az be-
Ing so good that they are willing to prom
ise its unconditional ratification II, only
We will desert those who have shown
themselves our friends and restore to
friendly the power TO undo what they did.
] pass by. tho question as to what asJur-
yece We ave that they would now Keep
ratiiy the treaty II they had the power.
for. OF course, l Will not for one moment
discuss tho possibility Of the United
ness as to abandon the new republic OF
"~Third.-Ffnally the congress definitely
settled where the canal was 10 be built.
1t was provided that "A treaty should be
made for building tho canal across the
able time. It proved impossible TO secure
such treaty, that then we should go to
Nicaragua. The treaty has been made;
for Il needs no argument to show that
the Intent OF the congress was TO insure
a canal across Panama, and that whether
the republic. granting. the title was called
New Granada, Colombia or Panama mat.
tered not one whit. As, events turned
out, the question OF reasonable time did
though, as the months went BY. 1t be-
came increasingly improbable that the
Colombian congress would ratify the
equivalent thereto, yet all chance Tor
such action on their par, did not vanish
SSe1 sne s soaasr Within fIos three az days enc tSer 9.
srSs.. out Ssasin. Ssca&. IN ira.'