The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-01-16

Panama and President ROOSe
veIt's Administration.
u The Free Iance

70 The Free Lance
Uncommon with thousands ofyouT read
ere havep rused with much inter ~ our
criticism ii the work Cf the rational "d-
ministrati IN at Panama. The opinions
aud iudgment If this paper, as tx
nres.ed in its editorials. aIe entitled To
nigh reppect by the public. becaus' they
are. mainly, nOn-partisan and appear 20
be based upon iair investigation belote
being put into print.
Therefore. it is assumed you would
uleane all our readers and add innch 10
your u-efml work ia behalf OF popular IN
terest by answering some OF the follow
ING questions. especially the first one. or
give each Of your rcHders the opportunity
of answering or considering them
The president has, a. you staic, sent
To Congress al elaborate messagr' from
which the conclusion Intended To be
drawn is that his ADMINISTRATION mas
done nothing which would encourage
sec,ssion of n STATE from neig' boring
friendly Republic, from the result OF
which the peace and cUnteutment o' Hs
people have besI violently Disturb 20 anu
the stability of its government seriously
threatened
lst. Do YOU think that such se' ession'
or revelation. bought about by eleven
men," some of whom were not even
native citiz ne. or, indeed. any revolt IN
Panama against the Colombian Goyerp-
menu would have occurred, II, at the end
Of the time oefinitely fixed by Congress
fnr Colombia To agree To terms OF the
pending treaty, President Roosevelt had
oheyed the law and mendate Il the
National Congress 10y proceeding prompt
ly with such duties ~ were necessary 10
secure the construction fa canal by way
/ OF the Nicaragua Route?
During the last twenty years 81 me Ol
/ the moet ssilliul engineers in the world
have ,eyeral times surveyed the Mica
ragna Route for IA great r. p canal that
would mite with the waters 81 the faclhc
and Atlantic o .eans. and l. we reported
that such canal could be completed more
exredi'iously and with /, ~ cost than hJ
AnY other route.
-. Do YOU know why, in the lace al
these widely known facts, the President
suddenly concluded that canal eonlh
not he COZ structed toy WAY OF Nicaragua,
although the members of the National
4 House Il Representatives had, 10y n Lear
lv unanimous vote declared That II conld
and should be dont?
The people Uf Ffanc". ole OF the most
ambitious. progressive aud wealthy
nations Of the world. after eXpendlng
man, hundreds Of millions Of francs IL
irving To construct Is canal by way OF
Panama, substantially abandoned the
project ~ hopeless, even at The terrible
cost Of irfictlng upon FrrUch etockhold-
rrs a loss of such enofmus magnitude as
10 impoverisn thousands Of families.
French and Amtrican engineers, OF ma.
tional repute a. reliable and eX perleI ced
authority. and, believe, some members
Of the Board Of Canal COmmissionrrs
have expressed the opinion, at different
times that. even il il were p"ssible %
overc me the i'm measurable ciiticu'tles
To be encountered in the Panama route
the canal could not be completed within
the epan Of less than "A generation o.
time. and at an expenditure too colossal
TO be comprehended.
3rd. With these facts, known through
ont the world, prominently tefure him
do YOU know why the Pre-ident and
thoss sharing with him the powers o.
government. suddenly concluded thai
the Panama routei a canal was the
only one which the ULited States should
accept
4th. Do you know why the esudden ap
pr. citation { { the dtiuLct Panama route
with the memory Of ell its glowing dis
asters clingiDg to it, was not made man
fest until it was proposed that SIG, 700,
600 should be handled by the agents o
the sellers and buyers OF the French in
terests in II!
The National House OF r. presentstives
after elaborate debate, passed, by q vot'
almost unanimOus,a "A bill authorizing the
construction Of canal by way OF Nica
ragua Soon after this event, aud beforl
the Senate took action on the House bill
the offer OF the agents OF the Frencl
bankrupt company to sell it's dead pro
iect to the United States for $40, ,O0O,QOC
became known.
9Th. DO you know why the Panama
route received only slight consideration
until the $40 100000 Offer becsm
known
After the little junta Of eleven men
. MANNED and executed the bloOdleas rev
olution at Panama the Government {
, Colombia did not manifest the sllghtes
desire, so far az known, to interfere, il
any way, with the rights cf the Unite'
. States to uninterrupted transit acrOe
the lsthmus.
9Th. In view Of this fact, do you knoS
!. why the Government Of our great an
}, oowe,ful X public sent large fleet c
= war IN ips to Panama, while the ''eleve
msn" scenic d easily able to master th
situation which their revolution ha
created
= 7tb. Have you tried TO measure tn
degree of national dignity and INTEL
,,e1ce exhibited ia this transaction b
those who represent the power an
grandeur of ouI fepublicP
Stb. Do you not believe that the pTA
teal and most expeditions, II not u
only. way to secure the canal IL
summarily defeat the delusive treaty no
before the Senate and proceed at once
construct the Nicaragua Canal, whic
: the people desire and will baveY .,
9th. v ould not eu"h action, 10y u
Senate, lead, es far az possible, To u
peaceful restoration OF previously exis
a mo conditions between Colombia ~
her seeded State, and thus save q
Limited States from endless future troubl
and the disgrace of having promoted q
disruption, II not wholly wrecking
friendly Republic. not because any PR
ciple for bettering system ms OF human go
ernment was involved, hut solely ior &
purpose Of facilitating sn increase ofco'
merce and trader
10th. Do you think the United STATE
which stands before the world "a a gul
ing example Of justice, honor aud Ia
ness in the administration of the iuntio
nj nonnlar government. should allow