Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-07-14
Mr.. 5ryan's Defense.

Mr., Bryan, secretary OF state, de-
tends the proposed Colombian treaty
on the ground that IAN estrangement
exists" 1t is to heal breach, not up
on the Just merits of Colonbia's grieV-
ance, but because Colombia would feel
better toward the United States IL we
would make her a present Of s25,oOooeO.
Secretary Bryan apparently thinks the
country should understand that it is
an out and-out gift rather than black
mail" as former President Roosevelt
emphatically sizes it up.
Mr.. Bryan says Colombia met great
financial loss in the separation OF
Panama. That is undoubtedly true,
but that any administration should so
far stretch the Monroe Doctrine as to
hold the United States responsible for
the financial losses growing out OF
rebel1ions in Latin American countries,
will come as a surprise to the Ameri-
can people. If that be the rule, how
much will this country have to pay
the Huerta faction of Mexico. in case
.Carranza and Villa drive the present
president from the land?
"Bhckmair' seems better to At the
spectacle than any other word. OF
course the present administration
would more willingly fall a victim,
because of the hope that the action in
a measure would discredit a former
Republican administration.
We presume that Colombia will con-
tinue to suffer loss because of the sep
aration of Panama and. should De-
mocracy win another term in the
White House, we might expect to pay
another $4,000, ooo--because Colombia.
needs the money, and America has
RATS of ii TO burn. So tender is the /.
present administration of foreign peo-
pics that it has turned over our $780,, |
ooo. efn canal to the dictation of Great
Britain. We are TO defend Colombia in
canal rights which we cannot assume, |
and then we are TO give her SIS 1000, 900 |
because we built the canal The next |
we may expect is the fleets of all ma
tons passing the canal free. under
Colombian register. Why not?
Mr.. Bryan says the payment of that /
SIS. 100000 will restore the friendly re- |
lstions" with Colombia. Quite expen- |
sive friendship.
1t required an engineering feat of |
unexampled magnitude and an expen-
ditnre off $500 1000. 600 to restore friend
our President might know how to
DEAL with other foreign questions
we wonder If Colombia was one of |
them
The Colombian treaty which Presi- |
dent Wilson and Secretary Bryan are
trying TO force through the Senate. is
a direct insult to former President |
Roosevelt and to the American people |
who rejoiced in his accomplishment. In
Chile last spring, Col. Roosevelt gave
a remarkable explanation and justifi-
cation Of his course that made the
Panama canal possible, and then said:
I love peace, but it is because I I
love justice and not because l am
afraid of war. / took the action l did |
in Panama because to have acted 9TH
erwise would have been both weak and
wicked. I would have taken that ac-
ton no matter what power had stood |
in the way. What l did was in the in
terest of all the world, and was par
ucularly In the interests of Chile and |
Of certain other South American coun- |
tries. 1t was in accordance with the
highest and strictest dictates of JUS
tice. If it were a matter to do over
again, I would act precisely and ex-
actly as in very fact did act"
Sometimes we wonder how the pres
ent milk-and-water vacillating, side
stepping, backing-an filling admins
trat!on would have acted In President
Roosevelts place.
And then again, we wonder what
Theodore Roosevelt would have done
lad he been in the executive chair in
the last year and half
What do you think-would Ameri |
cans or foreigners have been most
favored?