Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12
Query Regarding Construction
of Panama Canal.
CRITICISM OF METHODS
Judge Lorin C. Collins Discusses
Policy Of United States.
FEELING OF HATRED AROUSED
Says Government Raises Arm to
Strike Without Courage to
Give the Blow"


| c. Collins. for more than five years an
associate justice of the Canal Zone SUI
preme court. today criticised the State
| Department of the United States. saying
| it was pursuing a policy in connection
with Central American republics which
was winning for itself the hatred Of all
| Spanish-speaking nations, was being made
the victim of a malign influence. and was
gaining the reputation of country that
raises its arm to strike, but has not the
courage to give the blow
Insulted and Affronted.
| After relating series of incidents with
| in his own observation which. he said
We're specific instances that this govern
ment's representatives were being insulted
and affronted in the tropics. without
apology or reparation. Judge Collins de-
clared the American hopes of increased
trade from that territory would not ma
/ terialize.
! He also said the common explanation in
Spanish circles Of Americas overlooklr g
| insults from Honduras was that j. r.
Morgan K Co, who were arranging to re-
| fund the national debt Of Honduras, pro-
/ tested.
| Judge Collins said. in part
I'VE may with propriety and anxiety
| ask the question whether we will reap
| the just harvest of our labor and capital
on the isthmus.
Recognition of Panama.
How was the secession Of Panama,
and it's recognition as a republic by
| America, received in Colombia? That
nation asked Mexico to intercede with
/ the United States for her. and asked us
to allow her to send troops to Panama
| to suppress the rebellion. These re-
quests were denied by John Hay, Secre-
| tary of State. This was followed by a
long letter from Colombia calling Amer
| ica's attention to the treaty of 1916 and
the violation of that treaty by the Unit
ed States in recognizing Panama as in
dependent. Colombia offered to submit
| it to The Hague. The United States
| declined to discuss it further.
The result? The Colombians talked it
over with every Spanish-spea!ling race
| they knew. There followed the election
OF Obaldia. in which troops were installed
| by Cnitel States officials and Obald1a S
| opponent withdrew. This added to 18TH
milan dstrust.
.These and other incidents cause the
the Monroe doctrine. should the United
! States always find it necessary to select
fulers for these Independent republics.
Hostile Incidents Recalled.
The speaker recalled the threatened
stoning of the Costa Rican minister July
4, 1910. the fear of the minister at b.
| gotta, the affront to the American min
| lister at Ampala, the stoning of the lega-
| ton in Mexico, etc, and asked:
| DO not all these insults heaped upon
our government drive us to the conclu-
| sion that there is steady and malign
| Spanish-speaking American countries?
1.-The most deplOrable action Of the
United States, in that 1t gave color to
gossip and criticism against US, occurred
last summer in Panama. On the death OF
| President Obaldia, DIR. Mendazo became
United States Informed DR.. Mendazo that
| he was ineligible, and that should he be
| elected it would not permit him to
| hold the Office, for the reason that the
| person from succeeding himself in that
Office.
Pressure Brings Results.
| 1.-The next move of Washington was to
inform the congressman thatthey should
| elect Samuel Lewis president. The pres
sure from Washington was so strong that
one day at 1:3O o'clock in the morning
| it was agreed that at that days session
| Lewis should be elected. At 10 o'clock a
| cable came from. Beverly, Mass, dis
| claiming any intention on the part Of the
/ United States to annex Panama or to
| dictate to the congress whom the mem
bers should choose. The Lewis campaign
ended then and there. and Dr. Pablo
| Arosemena was elected president. All of
/ this was unwise and meddlesome inter-
| ference, and gave US the same reputa-
| ton We bear in Nicaragua-of raising
our arm to strike and not having the
/ courage to do so.
| For Peace or WARP
Still we are building a canal and
pluming ourselves on our wonderful UNI
dertaking. Are we building for peace
or for war? For the worlds development
or for future aggression?
|. If for peace. or for the development OF
| the Central and South Americas, the
| trade will not be ours, but will go to
our competitors, unless we change our
| methods