The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-04
Continued from First Page.

shown themselves our IflenQS anu re-
store to those who have shownsthem !
selves unfriendly the power to undo |
what they did. / pass by the cues
ton as to what assurance we nave !
that they would now keep their |
pledge and not again refuse to ratify
the treaty if they had the power; for
of course I will not for one moment !
discuss the possibility of the United
States committing an act OF such
baseness as to abandon the new re-
public of Panama.
Panama the Chosen Route.
Third. Finally the congress: defin- |
iteIy settled where the canal was to be
built 1t was provided that a treaty
should be made for building the canal
across the Isthmus of Panama.; and,
If after reasonable time, 1t proved I'M
possible to secure such treaty. that
then we should go to Nicaragua. The
treaty has been made: for it needs no
argument to show that the intent of
the congress was to insure a canal
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 reason
able time" did not enter into the mat
ter at all. Altho. as the months went
by. it became increasingly improb-
able that the Colombian congress
would ratify the treaty or take such
steps which would be equivalent
on their part did not vanish until the
congress closed at the end of Octo-
Der; and within three days thereafter
the revolution in Panama had broken
out. Panama became an independ-
ent state, and the control of the ter
ritory necessary for building the canal
then became obtainable. The condi
ton under which alone we could
have gone to Nicaragua thereby be.
game impossible of fulfillment. If
4l,o two, txy >x-tf1 I,
should not be ratified by the senate
this would not alter the fact that we
could not go to Nicaragua. The con-
gress has decided the route, and there
is no alternative under existing legis-
lation.
Warnings to Colombia.
When in August it began to appear
probable that the Colombian legisla-
ture would not ratify the treaty
it became incumbent upon me
to consider we'll what the situa-
ton was and to - be ready to
advise the congress as to what were
the various alternatives of action open
us. There were several possibilities.
One was that Colombia would at the
last moment see the unwisdom of her
position. That there might be nothing
omitted. Secretary Hay. thru the min
Colombia that grave consequences
might follow from her rejection of the
treaty. Altho it was a constantly di-
1ninishing chance, yet the possibility
of ratification did not wholly pass
away until the close of the session OF
the Colombian congress.
A second alternative was that by
the close Of the session on the last
day of October, without the ratification
of the treaty by Colombia and without
any steps taken by Panama the
American congress on assembling
early in November would be con.
fronted with situation in which there
had been a failure to come to terms
ais to building the canal along the
Panama route, and yet there had no
been a lapse of a reasonable time
using the word reasonable in an!
proper sense-such as would justif.
the administration going to the Mica
q l.agua route. This situation seemed
matter Of fact I had made the origina
draft of my message to the congress
with a view to it's existence.
~ Alternative of Using Force.
sit was the opinion Of eminent in
ternational jurists that in view OF tn
fact that the great design of GU
guarantee under the treaty of 1874
was to dedicate the isthmus to tn
purposes of interoceanic transit, an
above all to secure the constructio
III Of an interoceanic canal. Colombo
could not under existing conditions re
IL fuse TO enter lGLO. d proper
rnent with the United States to tha
II end, without violating the spirit an
substantially repudiating the obliga
tons of a treaty the full benefits {
which she had enjoyed for over fit
wears My intention was to consu
a the congress as to whether under sue
liz circumstances it would not be propt
to announce that the canal was to +
dug forthwith; that we would glN
the terms that we had offered and I
Z 4 II, %l,rf VIC
not agreed to we would enter into a
arrangement with Panama direct,
take what other steps were needful
order to begin the enterprise.
The Imnl1nence of Revolution.
"a third possibility was that the pc
pie of the isthmus.. who had former
constituted an independent state, al
f who until recently were united to G
lombia only by-a loose, tie of FEEDER
relationship, might take the protecti'
of their own vital interests into the
own hands, reassert their form
rights, declare their independeln,
upon just grounds, and establi
a'government competent and will
to do it's share in this great work
civilization. This third possibility
what actually occurred. Every o
knew that it was possibility, but
was not until towards the end of @
tober that it appeared to be an IL
rninent probability. Altho the admi
istration, Of course, had special mea
OF knowledge, no such means we
necessary in order to appreciate
possibility, and toward the end t
likelihood of such a revolutionary OF
break and of it's success. 1t was
matter of common notoriety. Quo
lions from the daily papers could
indefinitely multiplied to show t
state of affairs; very few will stuff
From Costa Rica on Aug. 81 a spec
was sent to the Washington Post TT
ming as follows:
Revolution Predicted in the Press
San Jose, Costa Rica Aug. 31.-Tr
eIers from Panama report the isthn
alive with fires of a new revolution.
is inspired. it is believed, by men "
in Panama and Colon, have systematic;
engendered the American feeling
secure the building of the isthmian ca
I'll by the United States.
The Indians have risen, and the
" followers of General Benjamin Herr
are mastering in the mountain villat
preparatory to joining in an organized
volt. caused by the rejection of the ca
a n treaty.
5Hundreds of stacks of arms, cOnf1sca
by the Colombian government at
close of the late revolutions, have re
Il peared from some mysterious source,
KS thousands of rifles that look suspicion
z N like the Mausers the United States c
n tured in Cuba are issuing to the gather
ka farcac from central rOintS of diStribut