New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-12
RATIFY THE COLOMBIAN TREATY
T and Mos. Important Step Securing the Confidence ana
Good VIII of the Spanish American Countries

station-in daylight steaming distance from
the canal. ,
Bv far the nearest islands TO the north oil
Colon are 81. Andrews and Old Providence
with various small keys; owned by Coiomo'H
On the Pacific shore of Colombia, peglh,
ming with Octavia Bay only one hundred anu
seventy miles from Panama, there Is series
of deep, broad and sheltered haroors, oelhs
Cupica. Chri Chir, Solazoa, Port Utria
Cabita Bay. Magdaena Bay, Buenaventura
Bay. Gorgona Island and Tumaco roadsteau
all OF battleshp fleet size.
II now seems inevitable that we shoulo
be drawn in at the death struggle OF mill
tarism's attempt to crush human rights III
favor OF domination by divine inheritance
Nothing can be more important than Tor VI
TO adequately protect the worlds greatest ar
terry Of traffic: 10 take the step that shall IN
sure us the cordial good will not only oil
Colombia but of all Latin America; to OBTAIN
the friendly control of the ports and ISLANDS
that on both oceans dominate the canal ne
Boston Transcript" on Friday last edltoraly
urged the ratification of the Colombian treaty
but as A stalwart Republican sheet IT insists
that the ambiguous satisfaction given Colon
bia in Article / is a slap at the party from
the other side of the house, and as such must
be eliminated. Also from a wise practical
standpoint. "The Transcript requires that
the $25,00O,OOO shall be paid in harbor I'M
proyement sanitation and public works done
by our government, directly with an EN-
cheney similar to that displayed at Panama
We want the effects Of our ratification OF
this treaty now Any modification would re-
quire reassembling of the Colombian Con
gress and set procedure that would con-
, sumo at the very best couple of months
Consequently the thing to do is TO harmonic
the treaty as drawn with the Republican
requisites. Nothing could be easier. Let the
Senate eliminate the ambiguity Of Article
by going on record to the effect that the
sincere regret that anything should have
occurred to interrupt or to mar the relations
of cordial friendship applies to COLOMBIAN
failure to ratify the Hay treaty
after having secured the hating of the Mica
ragua negotiations on the promise of its en-
actment, which failure on Colombia's part
was in the face of threats by Panamans
made on the floor of the BogOta Congress OF
SOB that they would secede if the treaty was
not ratified, all Of which gave rise to the
loss of the Isthmus TO Colombia; and as il
certainly was loss, and great one, and as
we profited thereby, we propose to do the
square tnlng by Colombia and consequently
ratify the Thomson-U treaty This
should completely tranquillze the most
straitaced Republican Of US all and satisfy
the most rampant Progressive.
AS TO the mode of payment the published
purpose of former President Restrepo, under
whom the treaty was signed, and the more
recent public statement of Minister Betan-
court leave no doubt but that a rider to the
effect that payment should be made in the
form of harbor improvement and public
works by the immortal Goethals and santa
ton under the great Gorgas would not af
feet the validity Of the treaty and would
surely meet with acclaim in Colombia. And the
urgency is understood when one recalls that
q year ago some twenty-five Americans dice
Of yellow fever in Buenayentura, as we'll as
many natives; two years ago the dread pneu
monte plague took its victims in Santa Marta
and Barranquila and Cartagena wildly re-
members its cpidemics of smallpox and vel
low fever.
Perhaps never has so good an opportunity
presented itself for the United States to 50
well combine in one act justice, diplomacy
of the highest class and telling stroke OF
good business as in the immediate ratfca-
tion Of the Colombian treaty.
HENRY G.. GRANGER.
New York. Feb. 8. 1917.