Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-01-08
SPECIAL MESSAGE
ON PANAMA CANAL
President Roosevelt Transmits His
Views to Congress.
TREATY SHOULD BE RATIFIED

Says There Was No Completely ON Part
OF This Government I'm Revolution
Charges Colombia with Greed
-All Interests Demand Canal.
Washington, Jan. 4-President Roose-
Selt's SPECIAL message to congress on the
largely of the Panama rebellion. the in
cioents leading up to- it and the part OF
the United states in it.
He refers to the previous legislation au-
thorizing the preSinent to conc.ude a
treaty with Colombia for the building OF
the canal. and II alter reasonable lapse
of time 1t was found Impossible TO Sc cure
the necessary territory from Colombia to
revert to the N1caraguan route tor the
construction of the canal: The later
alternative. he says. is now unnecessary.
as the control OF the necessary territory
at Panama has been secured. Re.errlng
TO the rejection OF the treaty with Co.
This act marked the climax OF the ef-
fort on the part of the United States to
cerned, an interoceanIc canal across the
isthmus. The effort to secure treaty
American republics did not stand on the
same footing with the EFFORT TO secure a
uSder n1 the a HyayFanncsfofs treaty it
was explicitly provided that the United
States should pq Ri and
equal terms. The United States thus as
sumed the position OF guarantor OF the
canal and OF its peaceful use, by all the
world. Tie guaranty included as mat
The enterprise was recognized as re-
spending to an international neeE; and 1t
justice to treat the governments In pos
session of the isthmus as having the right
great highways Of the word. and justify
the act by the pretensfon that these ave-
0ues of trade and travel belong to them
and that they choose to shut them.
when this government submitted to
things were. therefore. already settled;
permitting the. attempt. TO be made by
private enterprise. the time for permitting
was past. The United States had assumed
sponsibiIities not only to its own people.
but to the civilized world. which impeca-
longer be delay In beginning the work;
"secondIW lille 1t was va. settled that the n.
or Improper de;ay: it was 20 less s Gle ar
~ shown to be our purpose to deal not
mercy in spirit of Justice Ged but in spr
whose land we might build it. The Hay
Herran treaty, If it erred at all, erred in
wards the Colombian government, in our
anxiety to be fair We had gone to the very
mands what that nation was heip.essly
unable to enforce 1rem against our
Sdministrat Gs for the terms Of the Hay
Herran treaty were for having granted too
enough. Neither in the congress nor in
the public press, at the time that this
treaty S WAS If i1 not n hs fne and
amplest manner guarantee to Colombia
everything that she could by any color of
Nor is the fact to be lost sight Of that
the rejected treaty, while generously re-
for the construction of the canal in con.
formity with the express require mentS OF
the act of the congress of June %, 1902
BY that act. as heretofore quoted. the
Colombia. for the purposes Of the canal,
perpetual control of a certain strip OF
the control anu shas to be obtained Should
include Jurisdiction to make police and
judicial. tribunals as might be agreed on
for their enforcement. These were con-
Eres sss and Hf' for their fulfiIiment suitable
etipulations were embodied in the treaty.
4 naS been tn Seaa
on the ground that they involved rein
ssa Of What sf he as taE pe hs IN
objection must be considered as an al ter
thought In realty nf tesSasE sox
ereignty over the canal strip, expressly
o%er m he taeaT n s
Respect simply Proceeded on the lines on
which all the negotiations leading up TO
the present situation have been conducted.
In those negotiations the exercise by the
United States. subject TO the paramount
stantial control over the canal and the
Immediately adjacent territory. has been
treated as a fundamental part of any ar
Formed an t essential feature Of al our
plans. and its necessity is fully reeoenized
In the Hay-Pauncetote treaty. The con-
Should be secured, adopted no new pr:nci-
wv'o h11f inCnrn0Fated ie0iSla-
ton a condition the Importance and pro-
prety of which were universally recog-
and discussion that preceded the conc;u-
sion of the Hay-Herran treaty, Colomb- a
never intimated that al the M zen by
nal strip would render unattainab.e the
construction of canal by way of the
during the months when legislation OF 1862
was pending before the congress. that the
Eotiations with Colombia impracticabls
II Is plain that no nation could construct
eas degree ans of Control than
stipulated for in the Hay-Herran treaty.
refusal to grant such 1 degree Q, eonsr r1
practicable treaty at all Such refusal
therefore squarely raised the question
transit of the worlds traffic across the
4sthmus.
manded by the people of the locality
through which it was to pass. and that
longed for its construction under Amer
lean c-A,trol. are shown by the unanim-
sly Of acton in the I new Panama mama rep4 pub
tests and warnings when it was in her
Utmost eagerness to accept the same
treaty il only the status quo could be re-
IN the ofic:al circles of Colombia, on No
yember s, addressed the American min
IF "a States would a