The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-05

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HEN X Bo'<S ~ -ftrFRs.
quoted the President was authorized to
acquire from Colombia, for the purposes
of the canal. perpetual control" Of GER
tain strip of land and II was expressly
required that the control" thus to be
obtained should include jurisdiction" to
make police and sanitary regulations and
to establish such judicial tribunals as
might be agreed on for their enforce
rment These were conditions precedent
prescribed by the Congress, and for their
fulfllment suitable stipulations were en-
bodied In tho treaty. 1t has been stated
in public prints that Colombia objected
to these stipulations on the ground that
they involved a REIMBURSEMENT Of her
''sovercignty;'' but in the light OF what
has taken place, this alleged objection
must be considered as an afterthought.'
In reality, the treaty, Instead of requir-!
ing a cession of Colombia's sovereignty
over the canal strip. expressly ncknoWl-
edged confirmed and preserved her SOW
erelgntyA over It. The treaty In this re-
spect simply proceeded on the lines on
which all the negotiations leaolng up 10
the present situation have been con-
Quoted. In those negotiations the eXer-
else Dy lne rUuileQ SdpJCSl ~ III
paramount rights of the local sovereign,
of substantial control over the canal
and the Immediately adjacent terrific y,
has been treated as fundamental part
of any arrangement that might be mace:
1t has formed an essential feature OF ell
our plans, and its necessity Is fully rec
ognizcd in the Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
The Congress. in providing that such con-
troll should be secure-, adopted no new
n b,,t irHornprafpG in It's
legislation a condition the Importance and
propriety OF which were universally rec
ognized During all the years of nesotl-
alton and discussion that prccedeu the
conclusion OF the Hay-Herran treaty, Co
lombi1 never intinated that the REQUIRE
ment by the United States of control over
the canal strip would render unattainab!e
the construction of a canal by way OF
the isthinus OF Panama; nor were We
advised, during the months when leslsia-
ton OF 1902 was pending before the Con-
eress, that the terms which 1t embod ed
would render negotiations with Colombia
impracticable. 1t is plain that no nation
could construct and guarantee the neu-
trality of the canal with less degree OF
control than was stipulated for in the
Hay Herran treaty. The refusal to grant
such degree of control was necessarily
a refusal to make any practicable treaty
at all. Such refusal therefore squarlis
raised the question whether Colombia
Tas entitled to bar the transit OF the
worlds tratic across the lsthnus.
Three Alternatives.
When in August it began to appear
probable that the Colombian Legislature
would not ratify the treaty, 1t became
Incumbent upon me TO consider well what
the situation was, and to be ready to ad-
WISE Congress as TO what were the Va
riCus alternatives Of action open 70 US.
There were several possibilities. one was
that Colombia would at the last mo.
,rent see the unwisdom OF her position,
that Their, might be nothing omitted,
Secretary Hay, through the minister at
Bceota. repeatedly warned Colombia that
grave consequences might fo.i1" from her
rejection OF the treaty. Although 1t was
constantly diminishing chance Yet the
nc ssibility Of ratification did not wholly
pass away until the close OF the session
of the Colombian Congress.
]. second alternative was that by the
Close of the session on the last day OF
October without the ratification of the
treaty by Colombia and without any
steps taken by Panama. the American
Congress, on assembling early in Mo-
ve.l.be wou.l be confronted with n situ-
aticn in which there had been failure
to come 10 terms as to building the canal
along the Panama route, and yet there
had not been a lapse of reasonable
tirne-usIng the word reasonable In any
proper sensc-such as would justify the
administration going to the Nicaragua
| route This situation seemed Oh the
| Whole the most likely, and ns matter
Of fact, had made the orinigal draft
| OF my message to the Congress with 4
| yj.-W to its existence.
| II was the oprlon of eminent inter-
| national jurlsts that In view of the fact
! that the great design of our guarantee
under the treaty Of 1876 was to dedicate
! the Isthmua 10 the purposes of inter-
| oceanic trn;slt, and, above all to secure
| the construction Of an intcroceanlc
| cana, Colombia could not, under existing
| conditions. refuse 10 enter into a proper
| ADVANCEMENT with the United States to
| that end without violating the spirit
| and substantially repudptne the obiga.
| tlCns OF u treaty the fun benefits o.
which shc had enjoyed for over fifty
years My intention Was to consult the
Congress- as to whether, under such cir
| Gums tances It would not be proper 10
announce that the canal was TO be dug
| frithwith; Chat We would gIyc the
ltIma That wc had Offered and no
ctl 1rS, ard that, If such terms were
nor agreed 10, We would opter into an
arrangement with Panama direct, or take
what other steps were needful in order to
hceIr the enterprise
4 third possibility was that tie peo-
pie OF tho Islhmus, who had formerly
constituted an Independent state, and
WHO, untii recently were united to Go.
lcrpba only by u loose tic OF federal
relationship might take the protection
| Of their own yitbl interests into their
cwn hands, reassert their former rights.
declare their independence upOn Just
grounds, and establish u government corn
6stent and willing to do i,s share in
his great work for civilization. This
third possibility Is what actually oc.
Cured, Every one knaw that II was n
possibility, bur II was not unit, towards
the end of October that Il appeared u
be ar Imminent probability. Although
toe administration III cous5e. had special
neans OF knowledge. no ouch means wer,
. necessary IN order 10 appreciate the pos.
sitility, and toward the end the likel!.