The Washington herald., 1911-01-24
Why The PANAMA
CANAL. OUGHT TO
REMAIN NEUTRAL

Six reasons why the Panama Canal
should be neutralized rather than forti-
fled. are given in a statement made pub
lie by Richard Olney. ex-Secretary of
State, and signed by many prominent
Americans, among them being President
David Starr Jordan. of Leland Stanford.
Jr.. University; William Dean Howells,
Bishop Charles F. Anderson, of Chicago;
| President William II. p. Faunce. OF
| Brown University; Jane Adams. of Hull
House. Chicago; George Foster Peabody.
! the New York banker; Henry Wade RO-
gers. dean of the Yale Law School; John
Graham Brooks, lecturer on economics:
Francis Lynde Stetson. attorney. of New
| York: Ida TarbelI, historian: N. o. Mel
SEN manufacturer, ST. Louis; +. p.
Wheeler. attorney. of New York; SAM
! uel b. Capen. president of the American
board of commissioners for foreign mis-
sions, Boston: Marcus NJ. Marks. Thomas
Mott Osborne, manufacturer, Auburn. n.
Y. and Justice George B. Holt. Of the
United States District Court. The state
ment is follows:
why the Panama Canal should be
neutraliZed, not fortified:
'One-BecaUse the canal would be safer
in war time without fertilization. Ac-
cording to the agreement signed by The
Hague Conference in 1907 unfortified
coast places cannot be bombarded.
Second-Because the original intention
of our government. as distinctly express
ed in 1900 and previously, was to prohibit
Notifications on the canal. Though this
prohibition was omitted in the finally re-
vised Hay-Pauncefote treaty singned in
1902 this in no wise implies that Wa
N fnrfifv WA if- fr,rc-
ton proposed as primarily a military
undertaking.
Straits Also Neutralfxed
'Third-Because, though the Suez Ca
nal was built with English money, Eng
land agreed to its naturalization. The
Straits of Magellan are also neutralized.
and the interparliamentary union in 1910
declared in favor of the naturalization OF
all inter-oceanic waterways.
"F'ourth-Because the United States in
all its history has never been attacked.
and began every foreign war it ever
mad. and is too important "a customer
for any great nation at this late day
to wantonly attack. Though an enemy
might in stress; of war be tempted to
break its pledge with US, no nation would
dare break its naturalization pledge with
the combined powers. as the penalty Of
nonintercourse, which could be included
i'll the general treaty, would involve
commercial ruin.
"Fifth-Because, with the experience
CO nearly a century's peace with Eng
land, insured by our undefended Cana
dian border line, until We have asked for
complete arbitration treaties with all pos
sible future enemies and have been re-
fused, We should be insincere IT, increas-
ing our war measures. This is especially
true in view of the facts that, since 1909.
the nations have signed 100 arbitration
treaties, and President Taft has made
the irnpre ssive declaration that he sees
10 reason why any question whatever
should not be arbitrated: that the sec
ond Hague conference in various ways
diminished the likelihood of war: that
not only the prize court but the court
Of arbtral Justice is practically assured:
ana that in the summer of 1910 Con-
gress unanimously passed a resolution
asking the President to appoint COM
mission Of five to consider the utilization
o. existing agencies to limit the arma-
ments of the world by mutual agree
nent of the nations, and to constitute
the world navies an international force
for the preservation of universal peace
and to consider other means to diminish
expenditures for military purposes.
Guard of Battle Ships Necessary.
'SiXth-because. in the words of David
]. Foster, chairman of the Committee,
of Foreign Affairs in the House of Rep
resentatives: The initial expense of the
necessary Notifications would not be less
than $25, 00G, COO; in all probability it wouli
not be less than s5o,OO0.OOO. The annual
expense of maintaining such Notifications
1000 miles from home would probably
amount to $5.OOO.CC0. With all the forth
fications possible. it is still apparent that
in order that the canal might be of mill
tary advantage to the United States in
time of war a guard of battle ships at
each o! its entrances would be an abso-
Lutte necessity. 1t is equally apparent
that with such a guard the Notifications
would be unnecessary. if not entirely
useless. We are bound by, treaty obi
cations to see to it that the canal shall
be and remain forever open to British
ships in time of war as well as in time
of peace, and while it is probably true
that no other nation could claim any
advantage by virtue Of this treaty, it is
also true that We have thereby placed
under moral obligation to main
tain an open canal for the ships of all