The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-01-27
Why THE PANAMA CANAL
SHOULD NOT BE FORTIFIED

signed paper giving six reasons why
the Panama canal should not be for
titled.
Among the names of those promi-
nent in the movement against fortify-
ing the canal are the following well
known persons:
Richard Olney, former secretary OF
the state: David Starr Jordan, pres
ident of Leland Stanford, Jr., Univer-
sity: William Dean Howells, author;
Charles p. Anderson, Protestant Epis-
copal bishop of Chicago; William HI.
p. Faunce, president of Brown Uni
versity; Jane Adams, of Hull house,
Chicago; George B. Holt, justice of
United States district court; George
Foster Peabody, New York banker;
Henry Wade Rogers, dean of Yale law
school; John Graham Brooks, lectur-
er on economics; Francis Lynde Stet-
son, attorney of New York; Ida Tar
bell, historian; N o. Nelson, manufac-
turer, st. Louis; E. P. Wheeler, attor-
ney, New York; Samuel p. Capen,
missioners for foreign missions, Bos-
ton: Marcus NJ. Marks and Thomas
Mott Osborne, manufacturers, Auburn,
N. Y.
These distinguished persons say
that the canal should be neutralized,
not fortified, and submit the follow
ing civ valid roaconc.
81. Because the canal would be
safer in wartime without fertilization.
According to the agreement signed
by The Hague conference in 1907, I'M
fortified coast places cannot be bonn
barded.
%. Because the original intention
of our government, as distinctly ex-
pressed in 1900, and previously. was
to prohibit fortification on the canal.
Though this prohibition was omit
ted in the finally revised Hay-Paunce-
fote treaty, signed IN 1902. this in no
wise implies that we ought to fortify
it, nor was its construction proposed
as primarily military undertaking.
%. Because, though the Suez canal
was built with English money, Eng
land agreed to its naturalization.
The straits of Magellan are also
and the interparliament-
airy union in 1910 declared in favor of
the naturalization of all interoceanic
waterways.
a. Because the United States in
all its history has never been attack
ed and began every foreign war it
ever had, and it is too important a
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
to US, no nation would dare break its
Capitalization pledge with the COM
bined powers, as the penalty of nom
intercourse, which would be included
in the general treaty, would involve
commercial ruin.
IS. Because, with the experience
of nearly a century's peace with Eng
land, insured by our undefended Ca
madam border line, until we have ask
ed for complete arbitration treaties
with all possible future enemies and
have been refused, we should be in
sincere in increasing our war meas
ures.
This is especially true in view of
the facts that, since 1902, the nations
have signed 100 arbitration treaties,
and President Taft has made the i'm
pressive declaration that he sees no
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 arbitral justice is practically
assured, and that in the summer OF
1910 congress unanimously passed a
resolution asking the president to ap
R0AA-t . SOAAAhA4coAOA VI ufO " COuS1uGt
the utilization of existing agencies to
limit the ornaments of the world by
mutual agreement OF the nations, and
to constitute the world preservation
of universal peace, and to consider
other means to diminish expenditures
for military purposes.
Because, in the words of the Hon
David j. Foster, chairman of the com
mittee of foreign affairs in the house
of representatives, the initial expense
of the necessary Notifications woulG
not be less than $25,OOO.O0O; in al
probability it would not be less thar
$50.000,000. The annual expense o.
maintaining such Notifications 20O(
miles from home would probably
amount to $5.O0O,0OO.
with all the Notifications possible
it is still apparent that in order thai
the canal might be of military advan
tage to the United States in time Of
war, a guard Of battleships at each Of