The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-09
CANAL "SOYEREIGNTI."
what MIR. BainbrkiGe Colby Has DlscO,.
cred In Our Treaty with Panama.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN--Sir: The
editorial article In Yesterdays Sun en-
titled IAN Invitation to Senator O'Gor-
man" Ia. i regret to say. like great
deal that you have seen 1T to print on
the Panama tolls question. II is biased
and misleading. The gaps In it's reason-
Ing are as Wide rs the hypothetical spa
cling with which you make your play for
the readers attention.
The three propositions" TO which you
invite the Senator's attention are made
to depend upon the first. Your first
proposition II mere hypothesis which
assumes facts which have no relation to
any aspect Of the tolls controversy.
You speak OF discrimination at the
canal gate between II vessel plying from
an American port on the Atlantic to an
American port on the Pacific on the one
hand and a vessel plying between two
Canadian ports. one on the Atlantic and
one on the Pacific.
The Canadian vessel could not engage
In American coastwise commerce. and
cannot. under any facts which you are
Justified In assuming, be a competitor
with vessel plying between two Ameri-
can ports. There can be no inequality of
treatment and no unfair discrimination
on the part OF the United States with
reference to Canadian vessel. which by
the terms OF our navigation laws Is
wholly excluded from our domestic COM
merce.
Inasmuch as your second proposition
assumes the correctness of this utterly
Nnsound premise contained IN your first
proposition. II falls TO the eround.
In your third proposition you succumb
to the epithetical vehemence which Is all
your own and always so divertlng. You
say the talk about surrender is unworthy
OF any Senator or newspaper OF intelli-
gence. ] can conceive that the talk about
attrr NlAR Ia lana
hoped to accomplish 1t without any talk
whatever When you characterize IL as
"bosh' II Is apparent you have merely
fallen victim to the whirlwind OF your
passion.
To those not wholly dependent upon the
one sided selections of the pro-repeal press
for Information on this question and who
have followed the weighty but by you
slightly noticed utterances of ex-Attorney
General Bonaparte. Senator Joseph Ben
son Foraker. Judge Thomas Burke and
others before the 1nteroceanic Canals
Committee OF the Senate 1t will not seem
"bosh." even II you so denominate It,
That the Democratic Administration
does not share your opinion Is shown by
the terms OF the Simmons amendment.
which endeavors in an awkward and back
handed fashion To reassert our sover-
eighty In the Canal Zone, which has so
wantonly been compromised and discred-
to support It's mistaken President.
In this connection do you mind print
ing a clause from the treaty with Pan
ANA? 1t would have the value OF novelty
to your readers. although IL is not new.
1t has a high degree of pertinence to the
issues under debate in the Senate and
yet the pro-repeal papers have scrupu-
lousy RETAINED from abiding to it or
/ publishing 1t. 1t Is Article III. of the
! treaty between the United States and the
! Republic OF Panama, proclaimed February
/ &c. 1904:
The Republic OF Panama grants to the
/ United States all the rights, power and au-
! thority within the zone mentioned and de-
! scribed In Article IL. OF this agreement and
within the limits of all auxiliary lands and
waters mentioned and described in said
/ Article II. which the United States would
possess and exercise ~ II were the sover-
eign OF tn. territory within which said
+ lands and waters are located to the entire
exclusion of the exercise by the Republic
OF Panama Of any such sovereign fights.
power or authority
/ An Interesting a'dendum is the Ian
guage OF the official British note Of
November IA. 1872. conccding that the
United states has become the practical
sovereign OF the canal
/ In your next editorial invitation IA
Senator O'iormin YOU might invite his
attention 10 the proposition Of his coli
league from New York To- tn" effect thar
/ the status OF tine United states in the
Panama Canal Zone, notwithstanding the
language above quoted. IL merely that of
| "a trustee" BAINBHiDGE COLBY.
New YORK, May 9.