The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-04-21
How United States
Aquired Right to
Panama Canal

NAuAAOA WNNAA ia GA Atr'ftt'ftA-NH 1890
that hundreds of stacks Of arms wer'
being imported that the government
forces in Panama and Colon were
themselves friendly to the revolution
and that there were several distinct
and independent centers of revolution
airy activity on the isthmus. 1t was
also announced that the government
at Colombia was hurrying prepare
tons to send troops to Panama to put
down the revolution. OF course I did
not have to rely merely upon what
saw in the newspapers. From various
sources I had gathered enough to sat
isfy me that the situation was at
least as bad as the papers depicted IT,
Through two army officers who had
visited the isthmus in september ]
gained concrete and definite infOrma-
ton. They informed me that owing
to the dissatisfaction because of the
failure Of Colombia TO ratify the Hay
Herran treaty. "a revolution was Ger
tain to break out on the sthmus ana
that the people were i'm favor Of it,
and that it might be expected imme-
UldlElN ON INC tAN IWAt AAiAA'.AAN Rt N--
Colombian congress without ratifica-
ton of the treaty I'm response to my
questioning they said they were GER
tain that a revomtion-several diff
ferent revolutionary movements were
being planned independently of one
another-would occur Immediately
after the adjournment of the Colon
saaNaf
the isthmus they had calculated that
il would not occur until after October
20 because not until then would a
sufficient quantity of arms and am
munition have been landed to supply
the revomtionaries. Acting in view of
all these facts ] sent various naval
vessels to the isthmus. The orders 20
the American naval officers were TO
maintain free and uninterrupted
transit across the isthmus, and, with
that purpose. to prevent the landing
of armed forces with hostile intent at
any point within so miles of Panama.
These orders were precisely such as
had been issued again and again in
preceding years-19O0 1901 and 1902
for instance. They We're carried ont
Their necessity was conclusvely
shown by the fact that body of Col .
ombian troops had landed mt Colon
and threatened a reign of terror an /
nouncing their intention of killing all
the American citizens i'm Colon The
prompt action of Capt Hubbard of
the gunboat Nashville. prevented this .
threat from being put into effect; he .
rescued the imperiled Americans, and .
finally persuaded the Colombian forces .
to reembark and peacefully return to
Colombia.
Two Courses Open.
With absolute unanimity the people
of the isthmus declared themselves AN
republic and offered im
mediately to conclude with our gov
eminent the treaty which Colombia
had rejected. and to make It's terms
somewhat more favorable TO the Uni
ted States No bloodshed whatever
had occurred. and it could not occur
unless we permitted Colombian troops
to land The republic of Panama was
the de facto government and there
was no other on the isthmus There
we're. therefore. two courses open 10
u.s. one was to turn against the
people who were our friends 90 aban-
don them and permit the people who
were our foes to reconquer Panama
with frighthl bloodshed and destruc-
lion of property, and thereby TO re-
and perpetuate the anarchc
lespotism of the preceding 80 years
inefficient bloody and corrupt The
other course was to let our foes pay
he penalty of their own folly and in
putty and to stand by our friends
md, as an incident. to prevent am
lloodshed and disturbance ON the
sthmus by simply notifying Colombia
hat it would not be permitted 70
and troops on Panama. OF course
we adopted the latter alternative. no
nave adopted any other course would
nave been an act not merely of UNI
'peakable folly but OF unspeakable
,aseness: it would have been even
more ridiculous than infamous We
the republic of Panama.
Without nrine shot ave prevented
'ivil war. We promptly negotiated "a
reaty under which the canal is now
,eing dup In consequence Panama ,
las for eight years enjoyed a degree .
IF peace and prosperity which it had .
lever before enjoyed during its four
of troubled existence. BE ,
{ remembered that unless / had act
ID exactly as I did act there would
low be no Panama canal II is folly
O assert devotion TO an end, and at
he same time to condemn the only
neans by which the end can be D
.chieved Every man who at any
tage has opposed or condemned the ,
ction actually taken i'm acquiring the
ight TO dig the canal has really been
he opponent of any and every effort
hat could ever have been made TO dig ,
he canal such critics are not s.
straightforward or sincere unless they
nnounce frankly that their criticism
4 methods is merely a mask and that
t bottom what they are really criti- ]