The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-08-27
LATYN-AMERECA.

country, and incidentally to Latin
America, which will be sure to be
appreciated by the people
Immediately concerned. BY going
outside OF the country he violates
what was formerly held to be IN
unwritten law. Custom kept
presidents within the United States
during their term, but, in some
degree, the custom originated in the
difficulty of getting out and coming
back within what would have been
considered reasonable time. The
absence Of transportation facilities
in the days of the earlier presidents
held them within their own boundaries
even If they were disposed to g.
outside for few days occasionally.
la the time which would have been
consumed in getting there from
Washington, during the first third
of the nineteenth century, Canada
was as far away as Russia is now,
while Mexico was more remote at
that titNe than Persia today. But
he railways which cross our lines to.
the north and the southwest maxi
fOttawa and the City of Mexico near
neighbors of New York or
Washington. Moreover, the social
and industrial ties which have been
established between US and the
| Dominion and the big republic of
the Southwest furnishes other powe,- =
ilrCss)ns why tt at exclusion rule of
former times could not maintain
itself for many years longer, In any
case.
AS precedent breaker Mr.,
| Roosevelt took the lead In showing
that this isolation custom for
presidents could som etinses be more
honored in the breach than in the
observance. When he visited the
Republic of Panama in 1907 he
prevented that ancient usage from
saying anything for itself hereafter
to which anybody would care to
listen. While on the ocean he was
outside of the boundaries of the
United States for several days. 1t
could have been said, of course,
that as he was on government
vessel, and also left the canal zone,
which is ours by lease, and stepped
over into the Republic of Panama.
There he was on foreign territory,
even though that territory was a
ward of the UNited States. Mr..
Taf''s visit to Mexico, however,
will make a still greater assault or
the old exclusion requirement. He
will not be OUTSIDE of the country
as long as his predecessor was, but
the nation which he will visit IS
much larger and more important.
In making this break with tradition
ne will have wider field than Mr..
Roosevelt touched, and his act will
have much greater audience, and
will be attended by accessories
which are likely TO make il more
memorable.
Moreover, the visit to Latin
America at this lime has an element
of seasonablenesS which will make
an appeal to the people of the lower
half of the Western Hemisphere
who are familiar with their own
history. 1t is just a century ago
that our neighbors of The southern
half of the continent started to
break away from Spain. The first
revolt in any of those countries
took place in Ecuador, where the
centennial is just being celeb rated.
Notwithstanding the absence of
facilities for speedy communication
at the time, the rising of 1909 in
Ecuador was soon heard of in the
other counties on this side of the
water which we're subject to the
rule of Madrid. The fact that the
same NEGATIVE for revolt existed in
all of Spain's dominions here and