New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-23
SCHURMAN AND PANAMA.
Not IN Opposition to the Gon..
ment's Poicy.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribuns
SIR: was amazed to find nvx.,s
editorial in to-day's Tribune ranked ,r..n
opponents of the Panama policy Of p~esas
Roosevelt Considering that had defs,sss.ns
policy in a speech at Cooper Union on ,,s "as
ing of December % and that The 7r,h,.. esen-
reported my remarks next morning. $40
have some reason to complain Of thi. -
instrumentation 1l
The basis Of the EDITORS observaro,
to be report of a speech made IN ro.,.1s
on the evening OF the 18th inst. II rsr.~. p~s
that speech were sent out to the nerves..
they We're not compiled from any manr.c-,E.
mine' and IL they represent me al cr,,,.".
the Panama policy of our Chief Executive, ~
Just reverse my actual position
have never seen a scintiIa of ev,s.r
ing to irnplicate our government. OR s,,
Oh our government. in melting. causinr ~
couraginS the revolution IN Panarr. ~
event is sufficiently explicable from N. s
treatment the people OF the once tnd.,.,.--s
State of Panama had received from ~.
eminent of Colombia. eliminating a, !. AZ
the rejection.of the Hay-Herran treatv -, :.
construction of the canal, on which m. -
being of Panama absolutely den.r..-.
Even II our government had desired a ravo,...
IN Panama-and there is no evidence t,a. !.
did desire tit had nothing to DO bu. -
the progress of events; for the causes 4, ,,.--
ton at Bogota were producing their insv,,.,,-
euects on the isthmus. Was Secreta-v -
the fairest. the most sagacious and succ..-t.,
diplomat now living. likely at this la,a -
to begin an unseernly game with foreign -
lutionists? And as TO President RoosAv.,.
know as matter Of fact that when, In tia f..s
teeek OF September, a private individual csn..
his attention TO newspaper reports of event, :.
Bogota, and predicted a revolution at Par.r.
which would offer another opportunitv :.
settling the canal question. the President In Nj,
written reply, while showing proper concern "a,
the interests OF the canal evinced stfl create.
solicitude for the honor Of our Republic. and
expressed high determination to keep IL un-
sullied.
When the Inevitable crisis came and Panam.
declared her independence, the United State.
which was under treaty obligation to maintain
Tree and Urmolested transit across the isthrua
declared that not merely narrow strip along
the railway. but practically the entire isthnu.
should be dedicated to peace. If this was new
step. 1t was natural and reasonable Develop
ment of our historic policy under the treaty Of
1916: prevention Of hostilities instead Of intsr.
Vention to suppress them. The justification Is To-
De found in combination Of treaty rights IA.
tlonal interests and the demands Of interna-
tonal commerce and intercourse. Had Prss.-
dent Roosevelt adopted different solution Of
this difficult problem. is it not highly probable
that Panama would have been wasted by a long
and bloody war. that railway traffic across the
tsthmus would have been interrupted, that ths
construction of an interoceanic canal, which was
the final cause and object of the treaty Of 1916,
would have been indefinitely postponed, and that
International complications, involving the Mon.
roe Doctrine itself. would have arisen over ths
attitude Of Colombia toward the bondhoders OF
the present French company2 Craftsmanship 81
the art OF forecasting the future. and, In the
hght OF the past. steering safe. prosperous and
honorable course.
There are two other references In The Trfh.
une's editorial TO which I desire briefly to adj
vert. >One is that I opposed to the Philip
pine policy OF the United States. Since ths
ceSsion of the Philippine Islands to the United
States by Spain the American people have been
obliged TO consider what they would DO with
them. first, for the time being, and, secondly,
IN the future In regard to the first OF thess
problems officially recommended, in the report
or the nrSt Philippine COMMISSION, that they
should not be turned over to Aguinaldo, but
should, under the guidance OF American OFF.
Gals. be organized under a civil government
with large and progressively increasing meas
ure OF home rule. The government OF tho
United States has adopted this policy, Bus
neither the American government nor tha
American people have yet decided what dispo-
sition we shall ultimately make OF the Philip
pine question. Three possibilities are open. We
may give the Philippines independence. Ike thas
OF Cuba, under American protection; We may
admit them as a Territory or Territories and
eventually as a State States) OF our Union,
or We may retain them as an extra-constitu'
tional dependency. like England's crown col"
onies. I believe the latter plan. If adopted as
permanent arrangement. violates the Ideals OF
our Republic, and I know 1t is an outrage on the
national aspirations OF the Filipinos; and 1t Is
profitable neither to them nor 10 US. Mr. White
law Reid. whose political addresses have read
with much profit. has recently asserted that ms
day will come when man VIII be hunled rom
public life who dares to propose the admission
OF our transmarine possessions as states OF
Territories OF the Union find myself, tnere-
fore compelled to adopt the remaining altsrna-
tfye-PhiIipptne tndependence under American
protection-aS the only satisfactory sOiuuon "
the still unsettled problem OF the future OF Ino
Philippines. And when Mr.. Reid and discuss iSS
this question the Editor of The Tribune snoula
recognize that we are not quarreiing eLen -
with the past or the present or our FhIipg.-s
policy.-which indeed, We cordially accepe-osI.
we are endeavoring to mould prshc opinion ~
the right way for the solution or the sun ~
naming and most difficult phase or the Fnilps
pine problem. And It needs to be reiterateo an
sn1Dbas sized that the Philippine question IS 81.
ahead OF US: the past has created the Pio0''~
It's solution awaits the future. -
And finally, The Trloune eulSo' ns GoIor1bia.
Now there ia, IN my opinion. great danger ssas
Colombia will make war on Panama, anu Ia
the United States viii be compeiled 70 NJ -
No one knows what the results Of war may De-
except that in all probability they VIII oe "e,s
different from any previous expectations
Colombia willing to 1eopardize her very 80 ~
ence az an independent State? Certainly our
PanubUc has no desire to enter upon a career ..
EXPANSION In South America; and II mas evs al.
thing to lose and nothing 70 gain. by tne ao LUZ.
ton of dependencies which are 10 reIi1i -rs-r;-
side our federal partnership Of states anu ~
tories. Peace, therefore. is the interest .. ~
parties: and it is TO be devouty hoped tnt ,
sober second thought Of Colombia VIII IN No. so-
her to maintain peace: a consummatloh 81 -
which President Roosevelt and Secretdsy, y, "a
are working with the utmost patience sAliA -
energy animated and encouragSd oY e1,athy
mort 81 their fellow citizens and the sympalnh
- - e;,-;It,n5 ,,,orld Vary truly yours,