The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-05

Roosevelt today sent the follow
ing message to the congress in
regard to the part taken by this coun-
Try IN recent events on the isthmus Of
Panama.
President Roosevelt says that he lays
DetoFe congress q statement OF MS ac-
slen zap to the present time or the act
A5iplOFeu june 3, 1872, b. which the pres-
l9ent was authorized 10 secure Tor the
s1hitee St2tes the property of the Pam
ana anal company and the perpetual
control OF q strip six miles wide across
inc lsthmus Of Panama It was further
provided That should the president De
unable to obtain for the United States
q satisfactory title 10 the property OF
the new Panama Canal company ana
the control Of the necessary territory OF
the Republic Of Colombia
within 4 reasonable time ana upon
feasonable terms, then The president
should endeavor to provide for canal
py the Nicaragua route
The language quoted" says the pres
fcent. defines with eXactness and pre-
otslon what was to be done, and what,
ss matter Of fact, has been DONE Inc
president was authorized to 50 10 the
Nicaragura route only If WITHIN a fea-
s9nable time he could not OBTAIN con
Ifol OF the necessary territory or the
Republic Of Colombia" This control has
now been obtained; the provision Of the
act has been complied with; It Is no
longer possible under existing Circum-
stances TO go to the Nicaragua route
as an alternative.
Climax Of Report.
This act marked the climax Of the
effort on the part Of the United States
10 secure, so far as legislation was CON
cerned. an interoceanie canal across the
1sthmus. The effort 10 secure treaty
Tor this purpose with one Of the Cen
TEeil American republics did not stand
on the same footing with the effort 70
secure treaty under ordinary condi-
The president then quotes as he did
ii his annual message, what ne terms
the proper position Of the United states
70 assume in reference TO this canal, ana
therefore 10 the government OF the lsIn-
mus. as set forth by Secretary Cass IN
1865 He says the United States has
taken the position that no other govern
ment IS to build the canal and cites the
acton OF the senate IN lso5 IN passing
resolution declaring that the govern
ment Of the United States viii look with
. serious concern and disapproYal upon
any connection of any European govern
ment with the construction or control or
any ship canal across the Isthmus OF
Larlen or across Central America
Quotes Secretary Cass.
Under the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
saws the president, 1T was explicitly
provided that the United States should
control police and protect the canal
which was to be built, keeping it open
for the vessels of all nations on equal
terms The United States thus assumed
EaG position of guarantOr OF the canal and
of its peaceful use oy all the world. The
guaranty included as a matter OF course
The building OF the canal The enter
price was recognized as responding TO
an international need; and it would be
the veriest tTavesty on right and justice
10 treat the governments in possession
OF the fsthmus as having the right IN
the language of MT. Cass, TO close the
gates OF intercourse on the great hiSR-
ways Of the world and justify the act
by the pretensiOn that these avenues OF
trade and travel belong to them and that
Z -ts-4r- OH 80 u fFelr1
Three Things Settled.
The president saws that when this gov
ernmentr Submitted to Colombia the Hay
4IeTrasl treaty three things were. there
already settle1. One was that the
Scsinal should be built. The second, that
il should be our purpose 10 deal not
merely in spirit OF Justice. but in q
spirit OF generosity with the people
through whose land we might build it,
The Hay-Herran treaty. says the presi-
dent. III it erred at all erred in the dl-
reetion IF Oyer-generOsity toward the
tImOan government. In our anxiety to
be fair We had gone to the very verge in
yielding 10 q weak nation demands
What that nation was heipIessly unable To
enforce from AS against our VIII. The
only criticism made upon the admins
traJion FOR the terms of the Hay-Herran
treaty were for having granted too much
- Colombia not for failure to grant
enough Neither in the congress nor in
rHe public press. 1T the time this treaty
was formGl Rted, was there complaint that
II aid not in the fullest ard amplest man
Eer guarantee To Colombia everything
that she could by any color of title de-
mand
'.Nor j. The fact TO be lost sight of that
the rejected treaty. while generously re-
spending 40 the pecunidry demands Of
Colombia. ia other respects merely pro-
NideG for the construction or the canal
iii conformity with the express require
ment II the act OF the congress on June
- 1907
C0ntinuing. the president says. ssThe
treaty instead Of requiring "a cession Of
Coiombiass sovereignty over the canal
Sfripp. expressly ACKNOWLEDGED. con-
firmed and preserved her sovereignty
frer il. The treaty in this respect sim
ply proceeded or the lines on which all
negotiation leading up TO the present sit
1fatfcu have been conducted
No Intimation Given.
Duriag the years Of negotiation and
discussion that preceded the conclusion
Of the Hay-lterran treaty Colombia never
fr-7nnated that the requirement. by the
E-ufted States Of control over The canal
see.u scould render uuattaiuable the con-
structiou OF canal By way OF the isth-
mus OF Panama nor were We advised
during the months when legislation OF
1R2 was pending before the congress. that