Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-01-11


lpIesldent was authorized TO acquire
from Colombia, for the purposes oil
the canal. perpetual control" of a
certain strip OF land; and it was ex.
pressly required that the control
thus II be obtained should include
Jurisdiction" TO make police and
sanitary regulations and to establish
such judicial tribunals as might be
agreed on for their enforcement.
These were conditions precedent pre-
scribed by the congress; and for their
fulhnment suitable stipulations were
embodied in the treaty. Ii has been
stated in public prints that Colombia
objected TO these stipulations, on the
ground that they involved a re-
linquishment of her Sovereignty; "
but in the light of what has taken
place, this alleged objection must be
considered as an afterthought. In
reality, the treaty, instead of re
curing a cession of Colombia's
sovereignty over the canal strip, ex-
pressly acknowledged, confirmed, and
preserved her sovereignty over it.
me treaty ia this respect simply pro-
ceeded or 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 tire para
mount rights OF the local sovereign, OF
a substantial control over the
canal and the Immediately ad-
jacent territory, has been treated
as a fundamental part OF any arrange
ment that might be made. Ii has
formed an essential feature Of all our
plans, and its necessity is fully
recognized in the Hay-PaunceioJe
treaty. The congress, in providing
that such control should be secured,
adopted no new principle, but only in
corporated in its legislation a condi-
ton the importance and proprlety OF
which were universally recognized.
During all the years of negotiation
ana discussion that preceded the con-
clusion of the Hay-Herran treaty,
Colombia never intImated that the re-
quirement by the United States of
coRtrol-oyer the canal strip would rem
der unattainaDle the construction or a
canal by way of the IstEmus oil
Panama; nor were we advised, during
the months when legislation OF 1902
was pending before the congress, that
the terms which it embodied would
render negotiations with Colombia
Impracticable. Ii is plain that no
nation could construct and guarantee
the neutrality OF the canal with less
degree OF control than was stipulated
Tor IN the Hay-Herran treaty. A re.
fusal 10 grant such degree OF control
was necessarily a refusal 10 make a
practicable treaty at all. Such re-
fusal therefore squarely raised the
question whether Colombia was Ell
titled TO bar the transit OF the worlds
tra1ic across the isthmus.
That the canal itself was. eagerly
demanded by the people OF the locality
through which II was TO pass, and
that the people Of this locality
no less eagerly longed for its con-
struction under American~eontrol,a are
shown by the unanimity of action. in
the new Panama republic. Further
more, Colombia, alter having rejected
the treaty in spite of our protests and
warnings when it was in her power
10 accept il, has since shown the
utmost eagerness TO accept the same
treaty If only the status. quo could. be
restored. one OF the men standing
highest in the Official circles OF Co
lombIa, on November 8, addressed .the
American minister at Bogota, saying
mat II the government OF the United
States would land troops to preserve
Colombian sovereignty and the tran
sat, the colombian government would
declare martial law; and, by virtue
OI vested constitutional authority,
when public order is disturbed, would
approve by decree the ratification of
the canal treaty as signed; or, if the
government of the United States pre-
Ters, would call extra session OF the
congrcss-with new and friendly
members-neXt May to approve the
treaty" Having these facts in view,
the government of the United States
proposed a treaty which was not
merely Just but generous To Colombia,
which our people regarded as errlng,
II at all, on the side OF over
| generosity: which was hailed with de
ngnt by Ihe people of the immediate
locality through which the canal was
10 pass, VINO were most concerned as
TO tie new order OF things, and which
the Colombian authorities now recog-
nize as being SO good that they are
willing to promise its unconditional
ratification If only we will desert
those who have shown themselves
our friends and restore to those who
have shown themselves unfriendly the
power to undo what they did. Il pass
by the question as TO what assurance
we have that they would now keep
their pledge and not again refuse TO
ratify the treaty if they had the
power; for, OF course, will not for
one moment discuss the possibility OF