The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-01
DIPLOMACY AND THE CANAL.

Some curious statements are printed
by former Representative Duncan z.
McKinlay, who served as Republican
in the Fifty-nin Sixtieth and Sixty
first Congresses. in regard to Germany s
diplomacy with respect to the Panama
Canal. lie asserts that German in
f1uence was cxerted, and we largely
instrumental. in causing the rejection
by the Senate of Colombia Of the Hay.
Hefran treaty, negotiated between Co
lombia and the United States, for the
building of the Panama canal That
treaty proposed that the United States
should give Colombia $10000,00O for
the privilege Of building the canal
across the Isthmus, Panama being then
one Of the States Of the Colombian re-
public. The rejection of that treaty
by Colombia melted Panama TO revolt.
General Arias, one of the leaders of
that revolt, gave Mr.. McKinlay his pur-
ported facts, which he prints in his
book describing and giving history Of
the Panama Canal enterprise.
According to this story, German in
fiuence was strong in Colombia, and
German merchants and diplomats were
steadily against the extension Of Amer
lean influence on the west coast The
German merchants hoped that Ger
man company might purchase the
French company rights, according to
this story. and build the canal. Tn.
doubtedly, however. the great melting
cause for the rejection of that treaty
was that the French company's charter
rights were about TO expire by limita-
ton, and Colombia hoped to get not
only the $10.000,000 which the United
States would paw to Colombia for the
concession to build the canal but the
S4o,000,000 which the United States
stood ready 10 pay, and did pay. for
the French charter and canal property,
The German interest in this was. as
stated, that the German merchants
hoped that German company might
take over the French company's char
ter and thwart the American plan. The
report that German engineers have
made survey for a competing canal
along the Nicaraguan route is detailed
in this connection, and this report
doubtless is what moved Secretary
Bryan and President Wilson to submit
10 the Senate the Nicararuan treaty,
under which Nicaragua would be paid
S3,000,000 by US for a continued and
exclusive right for the United States
to build canal from sea IN scn ON tho
old Nicaraguan route
1t is quite possible that there is
more or less exaggeration in this story
set forth bv Representative McKinlay,
so far as German participation in the
matter is concerned. For there was
sufficient motive for the Colombian
Senate TO reject tho Hay-Herran troatv
without any interference from Ger
many or any other power. That in
duoement, as stated, was tho hope Of
pro6ting by the French charter on the
expiration of the time covered in II.
and the taking over Of the French
works and rights by the Colombian
government. This has been understood
all along as the real and also the suf-
icieut motive that influenced the Co.
lombian Senate in rejecting that treaty.
The Colombians thought they saw a
chance TO get $4,000 900 in addition
90 the $4,000. 900 promised in the Hay
Herrsu treaty, and they made their
plans accordingly to get $4,000, 900 in