New-York tribune., 1921-04-15
Senate Sharply
Debates Treaty
With Colombia
rahDenounces Agreement
as Admission of Truth
That US. Helped Foment
the Panaman Revolution
Knox andP PomereneDiffer
Latter Contends Conduct of
Government i'm Canal
Deal Is Unjustifiable
From The Tribuns's Washington Bureau

From The Tyibune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 14.--Thc $685.
100000 Colombian treaty, up before the
Senate to-day, was attacked by Senator
Borah, of Idaho. Senators Knox, OF
Pennsylvania, and pomerene, of Ohio,
urged that the pace De ratified, the
former on the grounds that while Amer
icas course Of action in 1908 squared
with international law, we should COM
pensatc Colombia for what we gained.
Senator Pomerene thought Americas
stand could not be justified
Senator Borah insisted that the
United States owed Colombia nothing.
He contcndcd that the United States
was not "co-conspirator" in the Pam
ANA revolution, that Colombia lost Pan
ANA through her own duplicity and
venality, and that the revolution OF
1903 was but the continuation Of a rev.
olution the Panama people had been
carrying on for years against Colombia.
To ratify the treaty and pay Colom-
bia $25,000,00O, Senator Borah said,
would be to admit the charges of Co
wrong to Colombia, and would stand
as such an admission in the eyes of the
world, no matter what lawyers in the
Senate might argue.
1.-THE moving force Of the 1903 yevo-
luton" he continued, "wRs not Roose-
welt or Hay, but the PanaManian peo-
pie, who have been fighting for their
independence for five years"
American Course Neutral
The course of our naval forces sent
to Panama when the revolution broke
out, he said, was one of neutrality. In
closing Senator Borah said:
"This government did not foster rev.
olution in Panama. The ancient springs
Of revolution were nearly a century old.
Panama never regarded herself as a
part Of Colombia and Colombia never
treated Panama as q part OF herself.
This government did not take the part
of co-conspirator. Roosevelt did not
Hay was not liar. Not the action
of the United States, but the short
sighted duplicity and venality Of Co.
lombia lost Panama for her. We owe
Colombia nothing. The brand of shame
should not be put on the character Of
Roosevelt
"If our citizens have acquired oil in
Colombia, or if there are new condi-
tions which necessitate or make II ad :
visahle that we have an agreement with
Colombia, let US have that agreement
on the basis of the existing facts as
they are now, and not on the basis
of tho old charges which have under
lain this controversy. SO far a; am
personally concerned, my position on
this treaty must remain what it WAS
when ! joined in the minority report
in 1917"
Senator Knox, favoring ratification.
said that as matter OF law this gov
ernment was under no obligations
whatsoever to make amends 70 Colom-
bia.
IF through her own acts" said sena
tor Knox, "she deprived herself Of
something which she would have OBJ
tanned had her course been different
the resulting loss must as matter of
law lie where it falls"
Denying that the United States gov
ernment took "a collusive part" in TO-
@enting the Panama resolution. Sena-
tor Knox said that "we were not illv
disposed toward the revolution" be-
cause of realization that a successful
revolution might be to the advantage
or the plan OF working out the CON.
struction of the canal.
tharges that tho chief actors in
this great drama" fomcnted the reyolu-
ton or helped to do SO he disposed of
as ''calumnious."
Senator pomercnc declared that the
more he had studied this question "the
more convinced | am that the United
states was wrong, in part, and the Co.
sombian government right. in part"
Although the Senator did not charge
that the Roosevelt Administration
sought to help stir up the revolution,
he intimated as much, and he quoted
from Democratic newspapers weeks be-
fore the revolution broke to the effect
that President Roosevelt was deter
mined to have the Panama Canal route
and in favor of the secession of PAN
ANA.