Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-10
INJURED FEELINGS COME HIGH
IN THE PANAMA NEICHBoRHooD
Colombia stll Wants 5000, 900 Be-.
cause T. r. Wouldn't Let Her
Politicians Hold Us Up

| manently wise, safe and tcnablc is newly
evident in Mr.. Hardngs very earnest desire
TO nave the Senate ratify the treaty under
which we would make important financial
| and other concessions to the republic Of
| colombia for our occupancy of the Panama
| Canal Zone.
Fifteen years ago II was supposed that
President Roosevelt had said the last word
| and forced an unquestionablc decision in
this picturesque and diverting matter. But
| then no one had any reason to expect
world war, terrific disturbances Of all cstab-
| lishcd balances of power and n new aggrc.
| CATION of novel dangers and concerns for the
! United States.
The government under Rooscvelts leader
ship sought to shorten trade routes and
what was far more important, to make nro-
lection easier and surcr for our two great
coast lines Colombia got in its way and
stayed in the way. and was rather unccrc-
monlouSly removed after all rational appeals
and friendly arguments had failed.
Since then Colombia. sitting like martyr
at the very top Of South America, where all
may scc, has refused to let her wounds heal
Regularly in tho Colombian Senate the old
sores are ostcntatiouSly irritatCd and torn
open And since then, too, there has been
world cataciySn and n miscarriage Of plans
drawn with infinite pains for the worlds
future peace. Some Of the nations in Europe
and Asia show disposition to go on shooting
and jostling and setting fire to the structures
of civilization.
In the face of all that, the need for an
integration of all American sentiment and
FEELING and for unifcation Of the aims and in
tereSts of all the republics of this hemisphere
Is the more apparent to statesmen at Wash
lngton and further SOUTH 1t is undeniable
of course, that in times such as those into
which We are drifting unity of the Americas
Tor the better purposes of democracy and to
sustain by example and action. if necessary,
the morality and principles of free govern
mont would be great thing for the whole
world
That, seemingly, is what Mr. Harding be-
lievcS. 1t is what Mr.. Wilson believed. It
Is what Mr. Lodge has come to believe. But
Colombia still sits darkly in an attitude of
mourning and will not be comfortcd for less
than SO J,OOO,O0O. And in the Senate. Mr..
johnson and Mr.. Kenyon. Mr.. Poindexter.
Mr.. Borah and n good many others are also
stubborn. They have planned to renew the
fight on the Colombian treaty. They saw it
is unrightPous and that it is blow at the
memory" of Roosevelt
When, in 1903, with the lessons of the
Spanish war and a sense OF new national
obligations and dangers fresh in his mind,
President Roosevelt determined 70 see CON
Panama was dominated and owned BY
Colombia.
lanama was roStive province. 1t had
never quite accepted Colombian authority,
The line which the canal later followed was
forbidding wilderness filled with murdcrous
fevrrs, Roughly marked across the isthmus
were the lines of canal which, years be-
tore, the French had tried to build The
Swamps were filled with rotting machinery
and equipment and the graves of engineers
and workmcn who persisted in the attempt
Afar in BOgota the Colombian Government
hrooded and passed the time in a sort of
eighteenth century scClusion. It awoke sud-
denly to realization of the fact that the
wilderness Of Panama was its greatest eco
nomiC asset
1t rejected proposal after proposal made
when the government of the United States
was ready to pay fair price for the Panama
concession. Roosevelt offered 100000 600
and an annuity of $25O.000. The Colombian
statesmen hommed and hawed They went
into secret conferences and finally demanded
S"O,oOO. 600 70 permit Americans 10 do Il
work which obviously would be of immcas-
urHbIc benefit to them and to all the territory
of Panama. They demanded, besides equal
rights with America on the completed canal
Ii was then that Roosevelt talked Of "a
government bloody. inefficient and corrupt. "
There had been talk in Panama of a revolu-
| ton. 1t became inSistent when tho people
. in IN" 2"n" areas realized that the attitude
Of m" BoGOta Government threatened to
cause the United States to build over the
Nicaragua route and thus leave Panama n
| permanent Wilderness Revolutionary Scnti-
/ m"nt unqurNtionably waS helped by French
investors, who, though they had been Offered
| 100000, 900 for their parts Of the unfinished
canal saw all their equipment and rights
about to revert 70 the tolOmbianS through
III" expiration of the time granted them to
build.
Panama rcv0ltCd. 1t rcvolted while several
American warships stood by in attitudes ot
friendly h"n"h"on"c with orders To prevent
. II" entry If Colombian forces. 4 Colombian
fore" did turn up, but after an interview
with an American naval officer tho Colon.
ban general took his men home again.
No shots were fired and no lives were lost
Tn" r"puhIi" Of Panama was created and re-
""lvcd from the United States $40, ,OOO. 900
and guarantee Of Nnnuiti"s for the Canal
/"h". In Colombia It has been insisted that
We aided TN" rcvUluionista in Panama and
actually inspired them. That is not truc.
liut when the revolution was announced
President Roosevelt made no secret Of his
d"Sir" to Shut Colombia out of the affair com
rlot"lv.
Tho 0i>don Of his course has been proved
ln many practical ways. The canal is built
Hove great tho need for it was uc can under.
stand nov, But Colombia and great part
Of Latin America continue to talk of our
orcppanry of the zone as n seizure.
Colombia has never ceased to sulh. And
the mood of its people has had pretty bad
r5F"ct on n"ghboring republics.
Til" United States, setting ont to do A
great and necessary work. found itself in
tn" position Of a man who, desiring to nut
up n great hn!lding finds some small prof.
irccrng landlord Withholding Scran of
necessary land for fabulous price. That
glariug fact n"v"r has served t. pucatr
Latin Awcr"au feeling To this day COLON
bia insists that "" owe hrr apologies con
r"~sion- in tn" canal zone and so .OOU 900.
Mr.. Taft. when h" was President. tried in
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