The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-04-21

CbA~IiHia AiiNiilklglA ana corrupt
The isthmus was seething with
revolutionary spirit The central
government of the republic of Colon
bia was inefficient and corrupt Law
lessness had long been dominant in
every branch During a period of
something like 10 years there had
been only one or two instances in
which a president had served out his
term. The republic had repeatedly
undergone internal commissions which
completely changed its aspect Our
government first entered into a treaty
with the pOssessurs OF the isthmus of
Panama in 1876. At that time the
nation with which we treated was
known as New Granada. After a
while New Granada split up and the
republic of Colombia, another confed-
GRAFTON, took its place; and Panama
was at one time "a sovereign state and
at another time a mere department
of the consecutive considerations
known as Colombia and New Gran
ada. I'm addition to scores of revolu-
tions which affected successfully New
/ Granada and Colombia as a whole,
the isthmus of Panama during 81
years saw SO revolutions. rebellions,
instructions. civil wars and other
/ outbreaks. some of the revolutions be-
/ ing successful some unsuccessful. one
civil war lasting nearly three years
and another nearly a year. Twice
there had been attempted secessions
] a. ..f. "a
sions the marines and sailors from
United states warships were forced
to land on the isthmus i'm order to
protect property and to see that
transit across the isthmus was kept
clear a duty we were by treaty re-
quired TO perform for by treaty we
already possessed and exercised on
the isthmus certain proprietary rights
and sovereign powers which no other
nation possessed On four different
occasions the government of Colon
ba itself requested the landing of
troops to protect its interests and to
maintain order on the isthmus-the
order which IL was itself incompetent
90 maintain. On several different oc-
casions only the attitude of the Unit
ed States prevented European powers
from interfering on the isthmus In
short Colombia had shown itself ut
terly incompetent to perform the or
binary governmental duties expected
OF a civilized state; and yet it refused
to permit the building of the canal
under conditions which would have
perpetuated its control of the isthmus
and which would at the same time
have put stop to what can legitim-
ately be called government by a sue
cession of banditti. The United States
would have shown itself criminal. as
we'll as impotent if it had longer toll
Grated this condition of things.
Panama Ripe for Revolution
was prepared to advocate our
openly avowing that the position had
become intolerable and that, in pur-
suance of our duty to ourselves as
well as to the world. we should be-
gin the building of the canal But my
knowledge knowledge which. as re-
CARDS most of the essential points,
was shared by all intelligent and in
iVi ilA'h l'Rlif vi AllN AttiliE Ol lilG
isthmus was such that ] was quite
prepared to see the people of the 18TH
mus themselves act in such a way as
to make our task easier They felt
that it was of vital importance to
them to have the canal built, for they
would be its greatest beneficiaries;
and therefore they felt bitter lndig-
nation at Colombia's Indifference to
their interests and refusal to permit
the fruition of their hopes that among
them there was a literally unanimous
desire for independence. Not only
was there not a single man on the
isthmus who wished to perpetuate
Colombian control. but all Colombians
sent hther even the soldiers. after
very short residence grew to share
the desire of all Panamans for the es-
adjustment of a separate republic.
the knowledge that the Unit
ed States would interfere to stop all
disturbances on the isthmus that in
corrupted traffic across it had resulted
10 the benefit Of Colombia, and it was
his knowledge that had been the
thief preventive of revolutionary out
break. The people of Panama now
'ound themselves In a position in
which their interests were identical
With the interests of the United
states, for the government of Colom-
'ia with elaborate care, and with a
equal to its iniquity.
lad followed out to its end the exact
policy which rendered it morally i'm
possible as well as morally improper
or the United States to continue to
exercise its power in the interest of
Colombia and against its own interest
md the interest of Panama. There
vas no need for any outsider to ex-
lite revolution in Panama. There
we're dozens Of leaders on the isthmus
llready doing their best to excite the
evolution. It was not a case Of light
ng a fuse that would fire a mine
here were dozens OF such fuses being
it all the time; it was simply a case
If its ceasing to be the duty of the