New-York tribune., 1904-10-21
A CULBERSON FIASCO.
Tries to Make Capital Ont of Year
old Letter.

Perhaps the fuse was faulty, peradventure the
time cap was. or maybe the dynamite was part
of condemned stores-whatever the reason GER
tain 1t was that Senator Charles A CuIberson's
Panama mysterious bombshelI refused to ex-
plode at the Democratic meeting at Carnegie
Hall last night The Senator had been imported
all the way from Texas to explode this particu-
lar bomb at the meeting, which held under
the Reform Clubs auspices. Unfortunately like
all the other deadly Internal machines that have
come from the Democratic dynamite factory of
late, IT proved to be nothing more deadly than
ten-a-penny frecracker, and a haIf-spent one.
at that.
While the eyes Of certain intelligent Democrat
ic voters prOtruded at least half an inch when
they saw the CORY leaflets containing the deadly
extract from the Texas Senator's speech. repro
ducing a personal letter from President Roose-
Welt to DR.. Albert Shaw on the Panama affair
the more intelligent believed at once that the
Senator had sounded a false alarm
AS for DR.. Shaw. in a talk with a Tribune re-
porter over the telephone after the meeting
he exposed the Democratic value of the docu-
ment by the simple statement that it was given
out by the President himself nearly year ago
If the Senator from the Lone Star State failed
somehow to cause the sensation he had looked
for, he was rewarded for making the long jour
ney by two or three nice bursts of applause
Senator Culberson reviewed the passage by
Congress of the Spooner law, authorizing the
canal, and charged that the President in his
course with Colombia "dehantly violated both
its letter and spirit" He declared that the Hay
Herran treaty, if not nullifed by the unanimous
vote of the Colombian Senate Disappearing IL.
expired by limitation the failure Of Colombia
TO approve it within the time fixed for its ratih-
cation. He entered with detail into the legal as
pect Of the matter, and continuing. said:
It is astonishing. in view of these indfsputabIe
facts, that the defence Of the President with
reference to this statute should be placed by
himself and his party upon the er6und tbay
when he entered into the Panama treaty The
time within which he could lawfully deal with
that route had not expired. 1t is interesting in
this connection 10 read the Presidents message
said:
AS events turned out the question of rea
sonable time did not enter into the matter a.
all And yet there had not been a lapse
OF a reasonable time-using the word reasonable
In any proper sense-such as would Justify the
administration going to the Nicaragua route"
Then read the following letter from Secretary
Hay to Minister Herran, which has never before
Department of State.
Washington. January y, 1908.
am dlrected by the President 10 say tc
you that IN his opinion the reasonable time
allowed him by the statute to conclude negotfa-
tlons with Colombia for the constructions of an
isthmian canal has come to a close. and cannot
be extended. He authorizes me 10 sign with
you the treaty of which I have had the honor to
give YOU a draft with this change. that the
sum OF 100000 annual payment therein men
toned be increased TO S2J00O0. 1 am not au-
thorized 10 consider discuss any other
change Whatever.
Csignedo JOHN HAY"
While the President in defence of his revolu-
uonary course was pressing the opposite viaw
upon the country in his message and bv his
partisans in Congressional debates, and while
public opinion upon the question was forming
this letter was significantly withheld even from
the Senate for months. though Others upon the
general subject were transmitted
| accept il as true that the executive officers
OF the administration did not officially and pub
licly instigate the revolt in Panama; but that
the administration, including the President !
privately favored and encouraged the movement
and that this widely known is susceptible
of demonstration. and in a matter of this char
acter IL was tantamount TO committing the
government to it.
Senator Culberson then read the letter to DR..
Shaw, as follows
PERSONAL
White House, Washington Oct 10 1909
My Dear Dr. Shav: inclose you. purely for I
your own Information. a copy of letter of
September - from our Minister To Colombia
/ think il might interest you 10 see that rbare
curing by treaty any more than We endeavored {,
10 secure The alternatives were To 20 to Mic
aragua. against the advice of tn. great ma
Jorlty of competent ensineers-some OF the n,ost
competent saying that We had better have no
canal at this time than gp thert--Cr else to take
the territory by force without any art4r1r.f .t
made at this time 10 foment the secession az
Panama Whatever other governments can 10
the United States cannot go into the securing
by such underhand means OF the cssei0n
Privately, I freely say 10 YOU that / should he
delighted if Panama were an INDEPENDENT star.
or II il made Itself so al this moment. hut for
stigatiOn of a revolt and therefore / caDnOt CIV,
IL With great regards.