The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-01-07

Panama; nor were We advised, during
the months when legislation Of 1902
was pending before the Congress.
that the terms which 1t embodied
would render negotiations with Co.
lombia impracticable. 1t is plain that
no nation could construct and guar.
antee the neutrality Of the canal with
less degree OF control than was stip-
ulated for In the Hay-Herran treaty.
A refusal to grant such degree Of con-
troll was necessarily refusal to make
any practicable treaty at all. Such re-
fusal therefore squarely raised the
question whether Colombia was emit
tied to bar the transit Of the worlds
traffic across the isthmus.
That the canal itself was eagerly
demanded by the people OF the locality
through which it was to pass, and
that the people OF this locality no less
eagerly longed for its construction un-
der American control are shown by
the unanimity Of action in the new
Panama republic. Furthermore, Co
lombia, after having rejected the trea-
ty in spite of our protests and warn
ings when 1t was in her power to
accept 1t, has since shown the utmost
eagerness to accept the same treaty
If only the status que could be re-
stored One of the men standing high
est in the official circles of Colombia,
on November 6, addressed the Ameri-
can minister at Bogota, saying that if
the government of the United States
would land troops to preserve Co.
lombian sovereignty and the transit,
the Colombian government would "de-
clare martial law: and, by virtue of
vested constitutional authority, when
public order is disturbed, (would) ap-
prove by decree the ratification of
the canal treaty as signed; or, if the
government of the United States pre-
Congress-with new and friendly mem
bers-next May to approve the treaty"
Third. Finally the Congress defin-
itely settled where the canal was to be
built. 1t was provided that treaty
should be made for building the canal
across the Isthmus of Panama; and
if, after reasonable time it proved i'm
possible to secure such treaty, that
then we should go to Nicaragua The
treaty has been made; for it needs no
the Congress was to insure Q canal
across across Panama, and that
whether the republic granting the title
was called New Granada, Colombia or
Panama, mattered not one whit AS
events turned out, the question OF
reasonable time" did not enter into
the matter at all. Although, as the
months went by, it became increasing
ly improbable that the Colombian Con.
gress would ratify the treaty or take
steps which would be equivalent there
to, yet all chance for such action On
their part did not vanish until the
Congress closed at the end of October;
and within three days thereafter the
revolution in Panama had broken out
Panama became an Independent state.
and the control of the territory neces-
sary for building the canal then be-
came obtainable. The condition under
which alone we could have gone to
Nicaragua thereby became impossible
OF fulfillment. II the pending treaty
with Panama should not be ratified by
the Senate this would not alter the
fact that we could not go to Nicara-
qua. The Congress has decided the
route, and there is no alternative I'm.
der existing legislation.
During the past forty years revolu-
tons and attempts at revolution have
succeeded one another with monoton-
Gus regularity on the Isthmus, and
again and again United States sailors
and marines have been landed under
instructions to protect the transit One
of these revolutions resulted in three
years of warfare; and the aggregate
of bloodshed and misery caused by
them has been incalculable. The fact
that in this last revolution not life
| was. lost, save that of the man killed
by the shells of the Colombian gum
boat, and no property destroyed. was
due to the action which I have de-
scribed. We, in effect, policed the 18th
| mus In the interest GIFTS inhabitants
| and OF our own national needs, and for
the good of the entire civilized world
Failure to act as the administration
acted would have meant great waste
Of life, great suffering, great destruc.
ton Of property; all of which was