The Washington herald., 1909-05-30
MiIitsrism and the Panana CansI.

MiitsriSm and the Panama Canal.
The announcement that the general
staT Of the army viii recommend the
expenditure Of over S7.Oo0.e00 in the forti-
fcation Of the Panama Canal terminals
need cause no surprise in any quarter.
i marks no new departure. nor does it
foreshadow any change in our predeter-
mined policy respecting the control Of the
canal That waterway was destined from
the first to be an exclusively American
project. for the construction. maintenance.
and protection Of which the United States
assumed sole guaranty. It IS true that
the Clayton-B -Bulwer treaty. never a popu-
lar convention among Americans, pro-
vided otherwise BY its terms We agreed
10 the naturalization Of the proposed
canal. and declared that We would not
erect any fortifcations commanding It.
But when that treaty was a5rogated and
replaced by the Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
the United States entered upon a new
and exclusive policy affecting the canal
Under the terms Of the new treaty Great
Britain surrendered important rights.
which were taken over By Us. Il was
agreed that the United States should
control. police. and protect the canal
keeping II open to the commerce Of all
nations on equal terms. The United
States" said President Roosevelt. in one
Of his messages. thus assumed the posi-
ton OF guarantor Of the canal and OF
its peaceful use by all the world" And
IN the treaty with Panama eeding Us
the Canal Zone provision was made for
the use Of military force and the build
ing OF fortifcatiOns for the protection Of
interoceanic transit Thus our intention
C fortifying the canal for purposes Of
defense against aggression OF any sort
has been well understood ever since We
entered upon the canal project.
To fortify the canal and 10 maintain
military force lon The Isthmus will add
q tidy sum 10 our investment there. as
weIl as to the annual cost OF the canals
upkeep. There are undoubtedly q good
many people. holding the. notion that
some better way may be found for sus-
tanning international guarantees than the
building OF forts and war ships who
would favor the naturalization OF the
canal by universal agreement. so that
its protection would be a comparatively
simple and inexpensive matter. We see
no hope for the realization OF any such
agreement. any more than We Go for the
naturalization OF the Philippines. how
ever much there may be to commend
either project Our national policy. dc
tated by national pride az well as by
considerations Of so-csIled national inter
est looks the other way. Il is & depIor-
ably expensive poiicy-how expensive We
shall know IN years TO come more than
now, when the increase in our military
and naval expenditures shall compel q
resort 70 new forms OF taxation. The
Panama Canal might as well be charged
Up 70 the navy account, for We have no
mercantile marine TO use It. and our wsr
ships viii be the only American vessels,
unless conditions change very much In
the next few years. 70 test the nsvigabls
qualities OF the great artificial waterway.
II not a purely naval project, the canal
Is more or less an altruistic enterprise.
ike cur Philippine adventure. with a COM
mercial attachment. But from the point
OF view adopted by naval strategists,
both the canal and the Philippines
strengthen our naval power. while they
immensely increase our naval expenditure
and the assumed necessity therefor.
The case Of the taxpayer against Mill
tarism. as. England's example shows
somewhat more vividly than our own.
IS al but lost National defense swaI-
lows up an ever larger proportion OF the
budget and the only bulwark against
the encroachment Of military burdens
upon the fortunes CT the common people
Is TO direct the Incidence OF taxation
upon the rich. II We must have Dread
noughts and colonies and big military
establishments. let them be paid for by
those who. because OF their vast posses
sions. suffer most from fright at the
specter Of war. That is the dominating
principle Of Britain's remarkable budget.
and We are rapidly getting around 70 a
similar notion in this country-one OF the
pleasant consequences. or unpleasant. If
you Ike. Of a militaristic programme.