Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-04-28
A Stain on the Nations Honor.
tFrom the New york Werld.l

(From the New York World)
PhiIander @. Knox, now a Senator
in the Congress of the United States
from Pennsylvania, was Attorney
General in the Cabinet of President
Roosevelt at the time Of the so-called
Panama "revolution.n
Immediately after this coup d'etat,
in which the armed forces of the
United States Government participat-
ed, Mr. Roosevelt sent for his Attor-
ney General, told him what had been
done and ask him to find legal justifi-
cation for the conduct of the admin
stration. After listening in silence to
Mr. Roosevelt's narrative, Mr.. Knox
is said to have replied: "Why compli-
cate this transaction with any taint
of legality?"
1t had no "taint of legality" then,
and no faint of legality yet attaches
to it.
Mr.. Roosevelt's conduct in respect
to Panama was unquestionably the
most lawless act ever committed Sy a
President of the Uuited States in the
realm of foreign affairs.
The Panama revolution was not
made in Panama. 1t was made in
New York. The money that bought
and paid for it was sent to the Isthmus
from New York.
The Hay -Herran treaty, which Mr..
Roosevelt made the pretext for his
predatory policy, was not framed
either by John Hay, who was Secre-
tary of State, nor by Senior Herran,
who was the COLOMBIAN Charge daft
faires. 1t was drafted by William
Nelson Cromwell, who was the paid
attorney of the Panama Canal Co. In
full knowledge that the Colombian
Government was opposed to the
terms of this treaty, Mr.. Cromwell
took Senior Herran to Secretary Hays
house at night and induced him to
sign. Before the Colombian Govern
ment had information as to the secret
act of its agent, President Marroquin
cabled these instructions to his repre-
sentative in Washington:
''Do not sign canal treaty. You
will receive instructions in letter OF
today.u
The United States Senate, at the
request of Mr.. Roosevelt, ratified the
treaty. The Colombian Government,
in the assertion of its unquestionable
sovereign rights, as the possessor Of
the Isthmus of Panama, as the grantor
of the canal concession and as the
principal stockholder in the Panama
Canal Co.. refused to ratify the treaty
Thereupon the Panama Canal inter
ests, in partnership with a certain
element on the Isthmus, proceeded tG
organize revolution, and the United
States Government was made party
to the intrigue.
The actual revolution itself wai
carried through by agents of the
Panama Railroad, which was ownet
by the Panama Canal Go. A United
States warship had been sent to the
Isthmus to prevent the Colombian
Government from landing troops tt
put down the revolt. In Consequence
of this wanton violation of treaty
Mr.. Roosevelt stock the Isthmus ant
left Congress to debate;" the Panam
Canal Co. got s4O,OoO,OOO from tn
United States Treasury, and fax
republic profited in the sum of $40,
100000 more for it's services in pro
viding an excuse for the Cromwell
Roosevelt 'srevolution."
When the Imperial German Gov
ernment in August, 1914, sought pre-
cedents to justify it's invasion Of Bel
gium, regardless of its treaty obliga
tions, the only one that it could fin
which fully supported its case wa
the record of the Roosevelt admin
stration in relationto Panama. II
Senator Kellogg, in opposing th
ratification of the treaty, which hs
been urged by President Harding
said that favorable action by the Ser
ate would "place stain on the nam
and fame, Of Theodore Roosevelt
How about the stain upon the nam
rs and fame and honor of the Unite
States which was placed there b
Theodore Roosevelt and which ht
never been effaced? Is that too trif
' ing matter to merit the sober COZ
sideration of the United States Ser
ate?
The Inheritance Tax.