The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-25


throw in the extra fifteen millions II we
propose to pay the twenty-five.
Colombia has exactly as much right 10
one sum as to the other. OF course
France would not have submitted TO the
proposed robbery. 1 made up my mind
that IL We waited We would have on the
isthmus q great Old World power which
would have q right TO be there because
we would have lost our own rights
through our suplne folly. and In such case,
In other words. II I had acted on the
Wison-Bryan theory all chance Of our
building the canal would have vanished
into thin air
The case demanded immediate and
decisive action. l took this action Taxing
the action meant taking The canal zone
and building the canal. Failure to take
the action would have meant that the
canal zone would not have been taken and
that the canal would not have been built.
"Pansma regarded Itself as having sur.
fered and IN fact had suffered, an intol-
cradle wrong. The building Of the canal
was vital to her well being. Colombia
had been an unsympathetic and incom-
pe:ent master. powerless even to keep
order In the territory which II had ruled
and oppressed during the preceding atty
years.
There had been hfty.three revolutions
on the sthmus ana on a score OF occasions
we nUu Detn ODllBeu 10 lallu our IoOps
to protect our treaty rights and the
lives and property OF Americans and other
foreigners Panama declared her inde-
pendence, her citizens acting with abso-
lutte unenimity We promptly aCknowl-
edged her independence She forthwith
concluded with us @ treaty Substantially
like that we had negotiated with Colom-
ba for the same sum OF money. We
then Immediately took the Canal Zone
and began the construction ~ the canal
Didnt Instisaf~ Revolutions.
we did not n the .malles, degree in.
stigate the revolution. The people or
Panama were unit In demanding the
revolution We never Aired a shot at any
Colombian. The only act OF ours wfSch
could in any measure be construed az hos
tile 10 Colombia was our landing sailors
and ma rnes on the Isthmus 20 protect the
lives OF American women and children,
and In this matter We merely did what
had beSu done in az least twenty OF the
previous tfty-three revolutions.
AS soon az the revolution was an sc-
complshed fact and when 1t was on course
too late Colombia endesvored to undo her
actions Her President offered 10 ratify
the original treaty either by calling
Congress which he would guarantee would
Tstify IL or else by rat,sylns Il himself In
the absence OF Congress II / preferred.
lIls dlltrTdllNe NiifT wan
mathematical certainty his previous own
power to carry out the treaty he had him
self previously made and said he could
not carry out.
or course our Government could not
at that date yield TO his request, as IL
would have been treachery to Panama.
As President | declined TO allow Uncle
Sam 10 be blackmailed. President Will
son now desires the blackmaN to be paid.
Feeble Course In Mexico.
his attitude can be illustrated by q
Hypothetical case. The present Admin
Is;ration has with regard 10 Mexico pur-
sued a course waverlns between peace
and war. exquisitely designed to COM
b.ne the disadvantages Of both and feebly
tending first toward one and then toward
the other.
Usually &; has permitted the free In
gresa OF arms into Mexico. both from this
country and from others. Occasionally,
however. IL has undergone spssms OF un-
derstandirg that these arms nigh; ulti-
matev be used against our own troops.
Then Il has prohibited the landing OF
arms. sometimes wabbl!ng back again to
It's original position. as when II took Vera
Cruz % prevent the landing OF weapons
and munitions OF war, and shortly after
ward permitted the very same arms and
munitions to be landed.
We'll. II some future Administration OF
similar views on International relations
should offer Mexico twenty-five million
dollars az an atonement for Internationally
refusing 10 allow the landing OF arms that
nigh, he used aga!ns, our own people II
would De behaving precisely and exactly
as President Wilson's Admin trstion Is
behaving about Colombia
In Accord with Morality.
The conduct of the United States GOV