The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 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 in Revolution
Charges Colombia with Greed
All Interests Demand Canal.
Washington. Jan.

He refers to the previous legislation au-
tnorizing the president to cenGlude a
the canal, and il after a reasonable lapse
Of time it was found Impossible to secure
the necessary territory from Colombia to
construction of the canal. The later
alternative, he says, is now unnecessary,
rs the control of the necessary territory
to the rejection of the treaty with CO.
1ombia by that nation, he says:
This act marked the climax of the eff
fort on the part of the United States to
secure, SO far as legislation was CON
cerned, an interoceanic canal across the
isthmus. The effort to secure a treaty
American republics did not stand on the
same footing with the effort to secure a
treaty under any ordinary conditions.
was explicitly provided that the United
States should control, police and protect
the canal which was to be built, keeping
equal terms. The United States thus as
sumed the position of guarantor of the
canal and OF its peaceful use, by all the
ter of course the building OF the canal.
The enterprise was recognized as re-
sponding to an international need; and it
would be the Veriest traveSty on right and
justice to treat the governments in pos
session CT the isthmus as having the right
to close hf the gates Of intercourse IN the
the act by the pretension that these ave-
nues Of trade and travel belong to them
and hat they choose to shut hem
Position of United States.
when this government submitted to
Colombia the Hay-Herran treaty three
th .lngs We're Was the fore c ALREADY st settled; 10
built. The time for delay, the time for
permitting the attempt to be made by
any government of anti-social spirit md
of imperfect development to bar the work,
was past. The United States had assumed
in connection with the canal certain re-
but tothe civilized world, which impera-
lively demanded that there should no
"Secord-While it was settled that the
canal should be built without unnecessary
or improper delay, 1t was no less clear
merely in a spirit Of %i Ruafnsf but t in u a spirit
of generosity with the people through
whose land we might build it. The Hay
the direction of a n over-generosity to-
wards the Colombian government. In our
anxiety to be fair we had gone to the very
mands what that nation was helplessly
unable to enforce from us against our
will. The only criticisms made upon the
Herran treaty were for having granted too
much to Colombia, not for failure to grant
enough; Neither in the congress nor in
treaty was formulated, was there COM
plant that IL did not in the fullest and
amplest manner guarantee to Colombia
title demand.
Nor is the fact to be lost sight Of that
the rejected treaty, while generously re-
spending to the pecuniary demands Of Co
lombia, in other respects merely provided
for the construction of the canal in con-
formity with the express requirements of
the act of the congress of June %, 1902.
BY that act, as heretofore quoted, the
president was authorized to acquire from
perpetual control of a certain strip of
land; and it was expressly required that
the control thus % be obtained should
sanitary regulations and to establish such
judicial tribunals as might be agreed on
for their enforcement. These were con-
gress; and for their fullfillment suitable
stipulations were embodied in the treaty.
It has been stated in public prints that
on the ground that they involved a relin-
punishment of her 'sovereignty;' but in the
light Of what has taken place. this alleged
thought. In reality, the treaty, instead
of requiring a -cession of Colombia's SOW
e e t oyer the canal strip, expressly
her sovereignty over it. The treaty in this
respect simply proceeded on the lines on
which all the negotiations leading up to
In those negotiations the exercise by the
United States. subject to the paramount
IlSAlSE Ol Tie lOCdl sovereign OIL d SUD-
%stantial control. over the canal and the
Immediately adjacent territory, has been
treated as a fundament part of any ar
formed an essential feature of all our
plans, and its necessity is fully recognized
in the Hay-Pauncefote treaty. The con-
should be secured, adopted no new princi-
pie. but only Incorporated in its legisla-
ton a condition the Importance and pro-
priety Of which were universally recog-
nized. During all the years of negotiation
and discussion that preceded the conclu-
sion of The Hay-Herran treaty, Colombia
never that the requirement. by
the United States of control over the ca
strip. would render unattainable the
construction of a canal by way of the
1Sthn1uS of Panama; nor were We advised,
during the months when legislation OF 1902
was pending before the congress. that the
1t is plain that no nation could construct
and guarantee the neutrality Of the canal
stipulated for in the Hay-Herran treaty.
A refusal to grant such degree of control
was necessarily a refusal to make any |
squarely raised the question
Colombia was entitled to bar the !,
transit of the worlds traffic across the
That the canal itself was eagerly de-
manded by the people of the locality
through which 1t was to pass, and that /
the people Of this locality no less eagerly
longed for its construction under Amer
lean control. are shown by the unanim-
lty. of action in the new Panama repub-
lie. Furthermore, Colombia, after having
the treaty in spite of our pro-
tests and warnings when 1t was in her
Owe to accept 1t. has since shown the
utmost eagerness to accept the same
treaty If only the status quo could be re-
stored. One of the men standing highest
in the official circles of Colombia, on No.
yember 6. addressed the American min
lister at Bogota, saying tina IL the gov
eminent of the United States would land
and the transit. he Colombian govern
lment would declare martial law; and,
by virtue Of vested constitutional author
ity. when public order Is disturbed,
ton of the canal treaty as signed; or,
government of the United States
prefers, [wouldl call extra session OF the |
congress-with new and friendly menu
May tG approve the treaty,
Having these facts in view. there is no
shadow of question that the government |
OF the United States proposed al treaty |
which was not merely just, but generous
to Colombia, which our people%regarded
as eTring, Ii at; all, on the side of over
generosity, which was hailed with de-
by the people Of the immediate
locality through which the canal was to
pass, who were most concerned as to the |
new ordersof things. and which the Co.
lamhian authorities now recognize as be-