Arizona republican., 1911-10-12
International PhiIanthrophy a mistak.

International Phianthrophy a Mistake
 In late number of The Outlook NIr. Roosevelt makes an elaborate defense of his policy as president with reference to the Panama in cident" Such defense is hardly ne cessary. however While NIr Roose- welt as president undoubtedly con nived at the secession of the state of Panama from the Colombian re- public, and the Panama rebels had the encouragement of this govern ment in setting up a separate re- public. the American people were. and are. practically unanimous in the opinion that the end justified the means Colombia was trying to work a hold-up game OF the Ameri- can government. and had actually demanded blaCkmau to the extent of millions of doliars as the price of Colombian corsent to the abrogation of the French concession. and Col ombia not only failed to extort any money from Uncle sam. but lost one of her most valuable states as a result of her avarice.
 Colombia is still insisting that the United States should pay her some ten million dollars as a salve to her feelings and in compensation for the loss of the state of Panama. and concerning this proposition MT Roose- welt says:
 There is no more reason for giving Colombia money to soothe her feel ings for the loss of what she for feited by her misconduct in Panama in 1903 than for giving Great Britain money for what she lost in 1776. Moreover there is always danger that in such cases an act of mere grace and generosity may be misinterpreted by the very people on whose behalf it is performed. and treated as confession of wrougdOing - We are still too near the Panama incl dent to be entirely certain that base people would not misunderstood our taking such action in her case; and as there was literally and precisely as much moral justification for what We did in Panama in 1903 as for what we did in our own country in 1776-and indeed even more justifi- Cation-it is as foolish now to claim that Colombia is entitled. or ever has been entitled. to one dollar because of that transaction as to claim that Great Britain is entitled to be com pensated because of the Declaration of Independence"
 Uncle sam has seldom had occa- sion to view with satisfaction the results of his benevolence toward other nations. At the close of the Mexican war, after the MexiCans were completely conquered, the Unit ed States paid to Mexico a munifi- cent sum for the territory We an neXed. A similar policy was pur sued when we took over the Philip pines and Porto Rico. But neither the people of Mexico, nor the people l of Spain, have ever shown any ap- prcciation of this generous treat ment At the close of the Boxer rebellion in China, a little more than ten years ago, the powers whose armies had marched to the relief of the legations at Peking put in bills to the Chinese government covering the expenses incurred in their mili- tary operations, and covering the losses sustained by their citizens on account of the rebellion. The bill of the United States was approxi- mately twenty millions of dollars. if | we remember correctly. All the European powers collected the money owing them but in due course the United States government forgave the Chinese debt, wiping the slate clean
 What have we gained by this be- nevolent treatment of the Chinese? All the news stories from China agree that Americans are worse hated by the Chinese people than any ether foreigners. Our generosity was treat ed as a sign of weakness. And if We were to make to Colombia the gift she is asking, the chances are that very shortly Americans would be still less popular in Colombia than they are now.