Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-01-08
PRESIDENTS SPECIAL MESSAGE.
eogota's Bad Faith Sharply scored-We
Gave No Aid to Panama Plot-Recoa-
milton Of Panama Cannot Be Undone.

President Roosevelt's special message on
the Panama question, sent to the Congress
Monday for its Information. is a powerful
exposure of Colombian greed and bad
faith and "A vindication of the honor and
good judgment of the administration I'm
the action it has taken. Recognition of
the new republic, says the President. is
an accomplished fact which, especially
after the action of the chief nations of the
world in following our lead. cannot be un-
done. The construction of the canal has
been provided for in a treaty which COM
plies with the Spooner act of 1902. and
the question of whether the canal shall be
built In accordance will the law and the
wish and expectation of the world is de-
clared to be the only issue which Congress
has before it for decision. The message
contains a very full account of the events
leading to the revolution of Nov. . on the
lsthmus. Citation Of orders to our naval
and consular officials, together with quo
tations from newspapers in this country.
show that the imminence of the revolu-
ton and its exciting causes were "noto-
rious' all over the world. The Presi-
dent adds to the abundant proofs an ac-
count of the official sources of his in
formation, and declares that the admin
istration in no way connived at or TO-
mented the uprising. a full account Of
the revolution shows that the United
States forces merely followed the prec-
edents of more than a half century in
preventing warfare and violence along
the transisthmian traffic line.
In "A review of already familiar facts
relating to the Spooner act and the terms
of the Hay-Herran treaty, the President
declares that the proposals of the Bogota
Senate to postpone action until the con-
cession to the French Canal company
could be invalidated and its Isthmian
works confscated. pointed Enthusiastically
to a new outrage which would have nee
essitated forcible interference on the part
of France. In such "A crisis. We should
have been bound by the treaty of 1916 to
possible armed resistance to "A friendly
republic.
The question of the recognition of the
republic is fully discussed, with "A re-
view of the treaty OF 1876, showing that
1t was entered into, in spite OF the sem
timent of the nation against "entangling
foreign alliances because the Construc-
ton of the canal was deemed a necessity
to the interests Of the United States. even
more pressing than was the advantage IT
would work to the OF the world
in general.
showing from important presidents,
which are cited, that neutrality provision
Of the treaty OF 1886 runs with the ter
ritory of the canal zone. the President de-
clares that the world expects us To con-
StTNct the canal ana CDiSiueTN US tIuS-
tee Of the canal zone for the benefit IF the
world in general. He points out the fact
that Great Britain, in giving up the Clay
ton Bulwer treaty, sacrificed important
advantages to free the hands Of the
United States for the prosecution OF the
work. He adds. significantly, the resolu-
ton. adopted Jan. 2. 1902. at the city OF
Mexico by the second Pan-American Con-
gress. declaring the building Of the cana
by the United States to be a work OF
civilization
This resolution was signed on behalf of
Colombia by General Rafael Reyes. the
new president and envoy Of Colombia at
Washington. The President explicitly de-
MES any sanction OF promiscuous reNo-
luton as a matter of right but argues
that as an individual case that of Panama
is defensible on the highest grounds Of
national and international obligation and
good faith. As to the ratification OF the
new canal treaty. the President pointedly
notes that even II that treaty Is re-
jected the provisions OF the treaty of
1916 still bind us to protect the neutrality
OF the canal zone.