Bisbee daily review., 1912-08-16
~ . z . . q . e EDITORIAL COMMENTs
WHAT WE PROMISED.
CChicago Tribune.)

In 1850 the United States entered into an, agreement with Great Britain touching the construction Of an inter- oceanic canal That agreement made
 in the presidency Of Zachary Taylor, and solemnly ratified by him and by the United States senate, contained
 the following article:
 The governments Of the United States and Great Britain having not only desired, in entering into this con vention, to accomplish a particular ob- jecr. but also to accomplish a general principle. they hereby agree to extend their protection. by treaty stipalatioRs, to any other practicable cOmmunica- tions, by canal or railway, across the isthmus which connects North and South America, and especially to the Inter-oceanic communication, sl
 the same prove to be practicable, whether by canal or railway, which are now proposed to be established by the way of Tehuantepec or Pan. anna. In granting, however. their joint protection to any such canals or rail ways as are by this article specified. it Is always understood by the United States and Great Britain that the par ties constructing or owning the same shall impose no other charges or con- ditions of traffic thereupon than the aforesaid governments shall approve of as just and equitable and that the same canals or railroads, being open to citizens and subjects of the United States and Great Britain on equal terms, shall also be open on like terms to the citizens and subjects of every other state which is willing to grant thereto such protection as the United States and Great Britain engage to afford"
 The intention of the high contract ing parties thus expressed was, in Oth- CT words. to neutralize ali inter-oceanic communications and prevent the curse of international rivalries and selfish ambitions from falling upon a region
 which, owing to its peculiar situation was and is in fact a stage in the great highway of all nations.
 Half a century later the same na- tions entered into a second solemn agreement superseding the treaty of 1850, called the Clayton Bulwer treaty. The purpose Of this second agreement, called the IIay-PauncefOte treaty. was thus defined and by the president of the United States proclaimed and by the United states ratified as follows: The United States of America and
 his majecty Edward, etc, being desir. ous to facilitate the construction of a ship canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, by whatever route may be considered eApedient, and to that end to remove any objection which may arise out of the convention of the 18th of April 1859. commonly called the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, to the construction of such canal under
 the auspices Of the governments Of the United States. without impairing the general principle" of naturalization established in Article VIII of that convention, have etc, etc.
 In Article II of this treaty it is | agreed that we may construct the canal and have the exclusive right of providing for the regulation and man. agement of the canal. subject to the provisions of the present treaty." and ! in Article IT, the United States
 adopts, as the basis of the neutraiza- | tion of such ship canal, the following rules, substantially as embodied in the convention of Constantinople, signed | the 28th of October, 1888, flor the free l navigation of the Suez canal, that is ! to say:
 l CD. The canal shall be free and | open to the vessels Of commerce and Of war of all nations observing these
 rules, on terms of entire equality, so ' that there shall be no discrimination 1 against any such nation. or it's citizens or subjects in respect of the condi- tions or charges of traffic, Or other | wise. Such conditions and charges shall be just and equitable.
 l Now passing our coastwise trade
 without toll may not come within the ] prohibition of this contract. but wheth. CT it does or not is exactly such a question as the United States stands | morally pledged before the world to
 refer to judicial decision. If it is not.
 then The Hague tribunal is farce,
 and we are convicted of palpable hy- ! pocrisy in our claims as pacific, pow | CT The spirit of the debate and vote ! should be counteraeted by intelligent
 in the senate was deplorabIe and
 public opinion The impending election
 may account for some of the heroics,
 but that is all the more reason why
 the press and the public should keep
 hold of their common sense. and a
 good way 10 do that is to read the
 words of the treaty here set forth.