Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-29
Makes His First |Sthmian
Address at Panama.
Carries the Greetings Of The
States 10 Latin-AmeriCa.
Assures Them OF Desire OF More
Happiness, Peace and Prosperity.

Panama, Feb. 2S-Secretary of
State p G. Knox, who arrived on the
lsthnIus, Tuesday. made in Panama the
first OF his public addresses on the
trip that will take him. before his re-
turn 10 Washington, to all the eapi-
tails Of Central America, and to North
EN- South America and the West In
dies
This speech while delivered before
the President OF Panama, Senior Pablo
Arosemena, was in reality addressed
To all the countries the Secretary ex-
poets to visit and included an ex-
PLANTATION of the attitude of the
United states towards South and
Central America, particularly in con-
nection with the building of the Pan
anna Canal Mr. Knox said the
President Of the United States be-
LEVIED that the early completion Of
the Canal should mark the beginning
OF closer relations between the United
States and all LatiH-America; that
the purpose Of the United States to-
wards all the American Republics was
to live in amity and essential har-
mony; and that the United States
desired more peace, more prosperity,
more happiness and more security in
their national lives. He declared the
United States crayed neither SOW
ereignty nor territory in Latin-Ameri-
ca, and that there was much in com
men between the older and the young
or ReT ublics on this continent
Mr.. knox's address follows:
1T is an honor and d sincere pleas
"a l..
ana the recipient of the cordial well
come Of Panama 1t is a privilege to
stand upon the threshold of the con-
summation OF the greatest work done
by man in or for the world and to
! feel that one is net a stranger upon
| the soil dedicated from the creation To
he the scene of the supreme effort for
| human advancement when mans re-
| quirements demanded it and mans
genius should be equal To the task.
WHEN the necessities of the world s
| first civilization could be no longer
| supplied and its aspirations no long
er satisfied in its oriental abode il was
natural that the pioneers OF those
| days should make their first cXplora
| lions by following the path of the life
giving sun in its daily journeys to-
wards the West.
The fruits of their first timid ven
lures emboldened them To more ambi
! oous endeaVor and the ever increas-
| Ing rewards, resulting from the dis
| coyery of continents and seas, beck
once them on until halted here by an
other world they seemed to have full
filed their mission Of companion dis
| coYerers with the sun which passed
| ON in solitude towards and into the
unknown.
1t was not until 1913 when Balboa
stood silent upon a peak in Darien'
and ga2ed upon the waters Of the Pa
ciGc that it was evident that the
hand that gave the seas and formed
the land left il possible to divide the
hemisphere which halted Western
progress, even as Moses had divided
tile Red Sea that the children of Is
rael might pass, and though the hands
Of the early navigators were unskiiled
fer the gigantic task. their magma
tons grasped the possibility of its
successful realization.
THE history of the project 10 build
the Isthmian Canal is full of strange
rational and personal disappoihtments.
Perhaps the best tragic of them all
is. that. eoinci6ent with SPANS loss
Of the last vestige of her sovereignty
in the new world, the final act of the
realization of the dreams of her great
uavigators began.
After many vicissitudes and fail
ures the completion of this stipend
Gus work devolved upon the people of
the United States who are thus thrown
. ri al
the lsthmian region which, with our
geographical pr1pinquity, make
broader understanding and a more
sympathetic reciprocal interest be-
tween us an essential basis for the
realization of the splendid possibilities
which seem to have been decreed from
the beginning of time.
"The President of the United states
believes that the early completion OF
the Panama Canal should mark the be-
ginning of closer relations to ali Latin
America and especially to the Carlb-
bean lttoral, as well as the relations
of these countries to each other, and.
impelled by the thought that this is an
suspicious moment through better
acquaintance to lay the foundations
upon which there should rest 4 broad
er confidence. u closer sympathy and
more practical reciprocal helpfulness,
has sent me hither as II bearer of a
message OF good will to our sister
American Republics. 1t is the Presi-
dents desire that | might personally
meet your most hospitable peoples
might see for myself your beautiful
countries with their boundless re-
sources and economic possibilities, to
the end, that such direct personal
knowledge understanding, and appre-'
,iaticn might result in mutual advan-
tage ard IN cooperation for the de-
velorment OF all our countries, Re-