The New York herald., 1921-04-19

lately as 1885 they were suppressed
by military force. Even if there had
been no canal question the secession
OF Panama in 1908 would have been
a well justified revolution for the
recovery Of liberties faithlessly denied
and suppressed by force
Ii certainly seems TO us that cor
rect understanding of the historical
relations between Panama and Colon
bia is essential to the proper appraisal
of Colombia's s25,0oO,oO0 grievance
against the United States.
H.
Instead OF having procured and ac-
complished rape Of Colombian terri
tory for the furtherance of the canal
enterprise, as substantially charged
in the Senate last Wednesday by Sen
ator PoMERESE OF Ohio and as reck
cratic assailants Of THEODORE RoosE-
VETS good name. that American
President and his Secretary OF State,
JOHN HAY, engaged in no secret in
trigue with the revolutionists at Pan
anna and Colon. President RoosE-
vEI.T's oft quoted phrase that he took
Panama" has an entirely innocent
meaning. He took Panama, as the
man has testified who did more than
any other person to bring about the
revolution that gave Panama indepen-
dence and TO save 1t from economic
ruin by the loss Of the canal, only
when and because Panama offered
berself to him and because he was at
liberty morally to accept the Offer
They who say the contrary, either
in the Senate chamber or elsewhere,
either directly or by tacit admission
in proposals for conciliation or rep
aration or satisfaction or compensa-
tion for a wrong which has never ex-
listed and does not now exist, uncon-
sciously misapprehend or maliciously
misrepresent the course Of events
which resulted in the construction by
the United States of an interoceanic
waterway for the benefit of its own
cally and morally, nationally and in
ternationally, President RoosEvELT's
treatment Of Colombia was as cor
rect as his intent was patriotic. NO
stain rests on his executive honor.
No reproach attaches to Secretary
HAY for his part in the matter. No
just claim for pecuniary soIace on
account of the acts of the Roosevelt
Administration can be advanced by
the Bogota Government. And as
things are going to-day is the time to
declare this once more with all pos
sible emphasis.
The course of events was as fol-
lows:
The provisions of the Spooner act
would have sent the canal to the
Nicaragua route in case our Execu-
tive failed to acquire building rights
at the Isthmus. The concession to the
French company by Colombia was
soon TO expire. This concession had
become the property Of the United
States.
Upon Bogota's initiative treaty
known as the HayHerran treaty had
been negotiated and signed by the
two Governments. The terms to Co
lombla. granted in the face OF con-
stantly increasing demands from that
quarter, were OF the most liberal and
wholly adequate character. The Hay
Herran treaty gave to Colombia
huge initial indemnity OF S10.000.o00,
plus an annual rental allowance OF
S25O.0o0.
This treaty. with Its grant Of Sl0.-
O0O. 900 indemnity and $3.50 900 annual
rental. was ratified by the United
States Senate on March IL. 1903, by
practically unanimous vote. Sud
denly the attitude OF the Bogota poll
ticIans then In control Of their Gov
ernment changed with regard to the
proposal The Colombian Senate re-
iected the treaty on August II.
Whether this unexpected act was due
10 an Increased appetite for American
dollars or TO the desire To profit na