Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-04
President Submits Spe-
Cial Message to
Congress.
DEFENDS HIS COURSE
Says it Has Been for
Good of Civilized
World.

Washington. Jan. 4.-Hnth houses
Of congress met today according "a
adjournment for the holidays. The
presidents special message upon the
course Of the administration with re
spect to Panama and Colombia wa
submitted and read The main feat
UTeS are a. follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
| lay before the congress for its IN
formation. u statement of my action
up to this time in executing the aCi
entitled An act to provide for the
construction of Il canal connecting tn.
waters Of the Atlantic and Pacitit
oceans" approved June -, 1902.
by the said act the president WAS
authorized to secure for the United
States the property OF the Panama
Canal company and the perpetual con
troll of strip six miles wide across
the Isthmus Of Panama. 1t WAS fur-
thcr provided that should til" preSi-
dent he unable to obtain for the
United States satisfactory title to
the property rf the New Panama
Canal company and the control of the
necessary territory OF the republic of
Colombia within a reasonable
time and upon reasonable terms. then
the president" should cndeavor to pro
vide for Il canal 10y the NicaraC qua
route. The language quoted defines
with CXactucsS and precision what was
to bc done. and what as a matter of
fact has been done. The president
was authorized To 90 to the Nicaragua
route only II within reasonable time
he could not obtain control of the
necessary territory OF the republic of
Colombia" This control has now
been obtained: The provision of the
act has been complied with: il i no
longer possible under existing lc"iSla
tion to 20 to the Nicaragua route rs
an alternative.
Climax of the Effort.
This act marked the climax of the
effort on the part Of til" United States
to secure. 80 far a~ legislation was
concerned. an iutcroccaT.c canal across
the isthmuS. Th" effort to secure a
treaty for this purpose with one Of
the Central American republics did
not stand on the same footing with
the effort to secure Il treaty under any
ordinary conditions. The proper pO-
sitiOn for the United States to assume
i'll reference to this canal. ana there
fore to the governments of the 18TH
mus. had been clearly set forth hy
Secretary CasS in 1888
The principle thus ruumciatod by
Secretary CaSS was sound then and il
iS sound now. The United States has
taken the position that no other gov
crnmcnt is To build the canal. In 1889.
when France proposed to come To the
aid of the French Panama company by
guaranteeing their bonds the Senate
of the United States in executive Scs-
sion. with only some three votes dis
scnting. passed Il resolution as follows:
That thc government of the United
States will look with serious concern
and di~approval upon any connection
of any European government with tho
construction or control oI any ship
canal across the ISthmuS of Daricn or
across Central America. AMI must re-
gard any such connection or control aS
injurious to the just rights ana inter
cSt> of the United States and as Il
mcnacs' to th"ir-wclfarc
Hsy-Pauncefote Treaty.
Under the Hay-PaUuccfot, treaty ft
was explicitly provided that the United
States should control police. and pro-
tect the canal which was to bc built.
keeping il open for the vessels of all
nations ON equal terms. Tie United
States thus assumed the position of
Cuarantor Of the canal and Of L peace
ful use Ivy all the world The guar
anty included as matter Of course the