New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-05

Washington. Jan. z.-Prssideat Roosevelt rent
the following speclal message or the Panama
question 10 Congress to-day:
TO the Senate and House Of Representatives:
lay before the Congress fOr IT'S Information
statement OF ..ly action UP 10 this tine IN
scouting the act entitled IAN act 20 provide FOR
I1e construction or a canal connecting the
waters OF the Atlantic and Pacific oceans aI-
BY the said act the President was authorized
70 EecuTe for the United States the property OF
The Panama Canal Company and the perpetual
control or strip SIX miles wide across lus
JsthmUs q Panama. Il was further provided
that should the President be unable 10 OBTAIN
for the United States a satisfactory title TO the
property OF the new Panama Canal Company
and the control OF the necessary territory OF The
Republic Of Colombia within q reason
able time and upon reasonable terms, then the
president" should endeaNor 10 IIoHiee Toy
canal by the Nicaragua route. The language
quoted defines with eZactness ana precision
what was 70 be done, and what as q mater
% fact has been done. The President was al
thoriZed 10 go 10 the Nicaragua route only II
within q reasonable TINE he could not obtain
public OF Colombia" This control has now
been obtained the provision Of the act has
been complied with; 81 IS 10 longer possible
under existing legislation 20 50 10 the Mica
TeEua route alternate.
This act marked the climax q the effort on
the part OF the United States 70 secure. 50 far
as LEGISLATION was concerned. an inteTOceanie
canal across the istlwus. The effort TO secure
a treaty for this purpose with one Of the Cen
same footing with the effort 70 secure q treaty
under the ordinary conditions. The proper po-
Eition FOR the United states 70 assume 81 refer
ence 10 this canal. and therefore 10 the govern
T1euts OF the is-huus. had been clearly set
forth by Secretary Cass 80 ISIS. In my An
nual Message I have Glrea 7y quoted what Sec
Rotary Cas- said; but 7 repeat the quotation
here. because the principle Il states Is funca-
mental:
While the rights % sovereignty o. the States oc-
cupy-rg this region Central America should al
ways re respected. shall expect thai these
rights be exercised iU a s0'r't betting The occa-
sion and she wants and circumstances that have
arisen. 60vereiED-w has frs duties MS well as its
Ttghts. sDd none OF these local Eover1rnenls even
II administered with more regard TO the Just de-
nauds % other nations than they have been,
would be- permitted. tl s~i-tt a., Eastern iso'a-
great highway OF tle world and Justify the act
by the preteusiou thar these avenues q trade and
travel belong 10 them and that they choose 10
Ehut them. or, what IS almost equivalent 70 en-
cuuber them with such unjust relations IS "c--d
prevent their general use.
The principle thus enunciated by Secretary
Cass was sound then md Il IS sound now. The
other government IS to build the canal II
1855. when France proposed to come 70 the cid
Of the French Panama Company by guaTan-
fleeing their bonds, the Senate ~ the United
States IN executive session, with only some
three votes dissenting, passed resolution as
follows:
That the government OF the United States win
iook with serious concern and dsapproVal upon any
connection Of any European government WITH the
1sthmus Of Darien or across Central America end
must regard Euy such connection or control IS IN
furious the 3ust rights and interests OF ths
United States and Is menace 70 their welfare.