Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-04

issued the following statement reply
| Ing to the recent magazine article of
ex-Prcsidcnt Roosevelt on the subject
OF the penSng treaty between the
United States and Colombia. whereby
this country agrees to pay the latter
s25,o00.o00 In extinquishment OF all
! claims growing out OF the taking OF
the Canal Zone and the construction OF
the Panama Canal.
The Mctropolitan, "A leading magazine
| OF New York. publishes a long article
under the title OF The Panama Black
mail Treaty" which contains many
misstatcnents concerning the ante
ccdents and details OF the treaty en-
tered into between the United States
ana Colombia on April 6, 1914, which
treaty has been submitted TO the United
States senate for its approval.
1t is the duty Of the Colombian lega-
ton to correct such misstatements by
means of this statement, and II will en-
tirely abstain itself from taking notice
OF the many outrageous and offensive
words contained In said article. which
the author has addressed to the public
men OF Colombia simply because he
had no solid arguments to offer con
corning the matter.
The author OF said article states that
In 1909. when IL was already evident
that the French company could not
construct the Panama Canal nor com
ply. therefore, with it's obligations to
the republic Of Colombia. IL was clear
ly seen that such work could and
should only be done by tho government
OF the United States. and that to ulat
end the Congress recommended the
/ Panama route.
Rccomme ndntion In Eject.
| The recommendation. therefore, was
/ in effect that we should go by Panama
/ IL we could acquire our rights by pay
| Sl0.000.0oO to the Colombians. The
French had real rights Colon
bia had no rights that were not OF the
/ most shadowy and unsubstantial kind
/ Ten million dollars represented
the very outside limit which generosity
! could fix as a payment 10 Colombia
! Nobody at that time would for one
moment have considered agreeing to
! pay s25.o00ooo or any sum remotely ap-
! prOaching it"
! In fact. in order that the French
] company might sell TO the United states
/ the assets OF its company, II was nee
/ essary first to secure the consent Of
Colombia. because. in the concession
/ granted BY Colombia to said company,
II was expressly stipulated (artIclc 31)
that the concession could not be trans
| fcrred to any foreign government. This
! was already by itself right against
what is maintained By the author of
said article. namely, that Colombia
i
! bia might have refused to make the
/ transfer to tho United States govern
ment unless fair price was paid to
. her for said consent.
/ Colombia agreed, hDwcvcr, to an
thorZc the French company to assign
/ or transfer its concession to the United
states. and did not demand any none
/ tary compensation for so great a favor
/ But Colombia had another right--and
a very great one In that--which is
| clearly stipulated in the solemn CON
! tract entered into with the French
company. Said right consisted in that.
! if within a certain time and Of gener-
/ Gus extensions OF time. which the Co
lombian government would grant, the
I FRENCH company should fail to con-
struct tho canal. the whole work would
then become the property of the re-
| public of Colombia
! BY merely waiting the necessary
time. the position OF Colombia as
| owner of the work would have been
absolutely solid. Colombia. however.
did not take advantage OF II, or ex-
ercse that right. So that these are
two very important rights which Co
/ lombia had at tho moment i'm which,
! the United States were negotiating
with her the Hay ITerran treaty
United states offered $4,000, 600
In order that the United States. after
! Colombia had acquired such rights
! H'Sht construct tnc canal, they needed
to own or hold In lease. for period Of
| 100 years, which could be prorogued,
| tho zone OF Colombia land through
which the canal had to be digged, and
for that zone the United States offered
! only S10,000,O10.
But it should be borne in mind that
under the said treaty upon the receipt
OF the Sl0,600,000. Colombia remained
| the sovereign owner of the whole 18TH
mus OF Panama Therefore. the offer
! OF S10.000,00J and the right TO retain
| the lsthmus were worth great deal
more than the s25,000,000 which are
| offered to her now, after the author
| of the article himself took from her
tho 1sthmus. Now, II the United States
| were willing to offer to Spain 100000
| 900 for Cuba, and thought that said
island was worth that sum, the 18TH
f. mus OF Panama was worth at least
| $l00,000.00O for the nation that was
| going to lose It,
The circumstances OF the Hay -Herran
treaty. by virtue OF which Colombia
| was offered $4,000, 600 before she lost
| Panama, were entirely different from
those which she obtained when she
was offered $4,000, 900, after having
! lost the lsthmus.
! The Colombian Senate refused to ap-
! prove tho ITay-IIcrran treaty for two
| powerful reasons
First. 1t was not possible to cede or
| give up to tho United States tho strip
| OF Colombian land or zone through
| which the canal would pass because
| tho Colombian constitution was on.
posed TO the alienation OF territory,
| and for that reason tho Colombian
| government afterwards proposed to
Il hn - a ytaN