Great Falls tribune., 1921-04-22
THE END OF THE PANAMA
EPISODE
THE United States Senate by a


vote of 50 to 19 ratified the
Colombian treaty on Wednesday
last thus closing SO far as the Unit
ed States is concerned an episode
that has cost this country dear in
the respect Of other nations, how
ever the matter may be viewed by
our own citizens. Fifteen Repub-
licans, nearly all progressives, vot-
ed against the ratification Of the
treaty and four democrats did the
same. Senator Reed of Missouri
who has for years been bitter op-
ponent Of Democratic foreign pol
icies was one Of the four. Senator
Watson of Georgia who is only
nominally a Democrat was another
Of the four. The other two were
southern senator's, Simmons and
Dial. Nearly all the fifteen Repub-
licans were admirers Of the late
Theodore Roosevelt and followed
his leadership in the bolt from the
Republican party. The influence
of President Harding and the ad-
rninistration went solidly in sup-
PORT of ratification Of the treaty
and this caused a good many Re-
publican senators who had voted
against ratification when such ac-
ton was urged on them by Wood
row Wilson to reverse themselves
and vote for it when Republican
president urged such course.
If anything could cause man
long dead to turn in his grave. as
the saying goes, then Theodore
Roosevelt must have turned in his
grave last Wednesday when a Re-
publican senate ratified this treaty
paying 100000 to Colombia for
her property rights in the canal
strip, which he had already bought
from the newly formed republic OF
Panama for $1O,0o0.000. If Roose-
welt were alive today we can well
imagine the sulphurous words he
would be using to describe this
transaction. In fact the mere fact
that Woodrow Wilson negotiated
this treaty and sent it to the SEN
ate in the early part OF his first
term when the ex-president was
alive moved him to pretty strong
language, most of which was re-
peated on the floor Of the senate in
the last few weeks by those oppos-
ed to ratification. He described
the treaty that has just been rati-
fled as the "most infamous" treaty
ever presented to civilized nation.
He called the Colombians bandits"
and "b1ackmailers" and those who
supported such treaty little bet
ter than the Colombians. He de-
Tended his action in taking the
canal strip from these bandits and
blackmailers as the most glorious
achievement Of his administration.
He declared that to pay Colombia
single dollar for her title to the
canal strip after he had paid Pana-
ma for it would be rank cowardice
and wickedness on the part Of the
United States.
Well as far as we are concerned
as nations we agreed to pay the
Colombians the full sum they orig
inalIy asked for the canal strip, and
we have already paid to Panama
the ten millions we offered to Col
ombia in the beginning, and which
was refused by them, so that the
net result Of this most brilliant
achievement" Of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration is that the canal strip
cost us ten million dollars more
than the Colombians were willing
to sell it to us for, and after these
years Of discussion and hard feel
ings between the United States and
Colombia, we acknowledge that we
were wrong and they were right by
paying the full price they originally
demanded from us for their title to
the canal strip.
1t is true the treaty does not
state in words that we were wrong
and they were right in this contro-
versy. As originally drawn it did
imply an expression Of regret on
our part over the incident that
amounted to a verbal apology.
That was stricken out by agree
ment with Colombia to make ii
easier for the Roosevelt admirers
to vote for the treaty. The Col
onEans argued very logically that
the expression Of regret was i'm
piled anyway in the payment of
the first price they had put on the
canal strip. Likewise if we had
done them no wrong in the trans
action it was inconceivable to them
that we would pay the money, for
To1o,,.L;a had M fnrre with which