The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-04-22
Peculiar Variety
Of Causes Behind
Colombian Treaty
~ DAVID IAw1ENcE.
(Copyrighc By tho IntelligcncerD

Washington. April cI-What finally
pu, the Colombian treaty through the
senate after seventeen years OF
wranglinS: WAY did the Ecpubliraa
party split over the question. and NhE
was II possible for a coalition OF Re
puolicans and practically the entire
Democratic minority to ratify the pact:
Well might the outsider ask these
questions and search the speeches IN
congress for an answer. But the mo-
nentum behind r-ltftication was no: due
70 speech making or argument L was
due to a variety OF causes, az o. which
combined 10 produce tne result. some
of them have An intensely interesting
relationship u the worlds oil supply.
some of tnem have 70 do with Tan
American fellowship. and some have to
do with anru!sm. but 1t Is safe 70 say
that never was a treaty passed when
mad behind il as peculiar an array OF
influence as that which pushed the
measure through IN" senate ny vote
OF 50 TO 10. only five more than the
necessary two-thi-ds.
The Oh Question.
First with respsc: 20 the oil question.
All week tue air has hctn full OF
significant rumorS emauattng from
Official sources that the oil supply OF
Mexico would run dry in three or four
years. and that America wells could
not hope to keep pace with word de-
mand for many years more. possibly
eighteen, and that the HrNt best Oh heid
npen 10 American development IS IN
Colombia. When K is considered that
me British and French have been en-
-, NeSnDn-
.am.a oil field ard that the whole world
has only ;ately recognized the vital I'M
portapCe OF oil Is fuel. the scramble
Tor possession Of 4 <oothold IN COLON
ola is only natural.
OF course. there have henn cynical
insinuationS that the Colombian o.
question had lot TO do with the de-
termination of the Harding admintstra-
tion to ride roughshod over the wor-
shippers Of Roosevelt. and that oil IN
terests alone would benefit from the
ratification. There IS. however. another
side to that suggestion. II was a fact
that, Irrespective OF the talk OF pre-
rerential treatment 20 American inter
ests / they secured the ratification of
the Colombian treaty. Discrimination
against American nationals was begin
ming to manifest Itself. WHar America
wanted was an even break at least with
Inc uallon1lS Ck OAteE C'uhIti'S.
pas no way OF compelling Colombia t"
give American citiZ"nS y square dt11,
except by righln% the wrongs which
Colombia sslt had been done her by tn"
separation Of the r;>nai zone from the
territory Of Colombia.
Insofar as the treaty SOothas che
wounded feelings OF Colombia. Il places
American capital on an equal footing
with that OF European and AS'1tic coun-
u.aS "a - ciDrDritS co.
lombia said in effect: Deal fairly with
US and We will d,l, fairly with you"
Better Than Even Breat.
There IS good reason 70 believe, how
ever. that the ratification OF the treaty
will do more than give Americans an
. even break. II Will probably result In
preferential treatment. Assurances
have in the past been given that CO.
iombia would Spenl n large part OF the
325.000.000 in the United states. letting
contracts for the building oc domestic
improvements IN Colombia public
works, railroads and utilities.
The seco2d great factor in II" ratit:-
cation controversy was the question Of
whether or not America committed
wrong when Panama seeded FROM Col
onbia Mr.. Roosevelt admitted in
public speech that he took ranama.
but insisted that Colombia wlS cndear-
oring to cXrort 4 huge sum for the cana
rights and that as soon as Panama re-
belled against Colombia. he felt Justi-
fled IN recognizing the Panamanian re-
public because otherwise the c1nai
would not have been built. Irrespective
Of the truth about Colombia's attitude.
.he impression made th-ouGhou; South
America has been that the United
states brok" al, records in tho recog-
-. tr,fa -l.h
mally recognized tho I'auamanlan re-
public seventy-two hours after the rero-
luton occurred and used American toces
70 pevcnt the Co-lomhLauS from inter-
fer:nS with the Independence of Panama.
variety Of Opinion
The Democrats IN the senate took
The position that = great NORA wong
vas done and should he re"tified. Pres
dent Wilson AMI Secretary Rcyan were
even willing I" irciudc an expression Of
-.-ret in til trra;y.. but the Repuo!t-
. ans wouldn't =. lat T. and the wilson
administration coneilcrcd thA; the pay
rncnt Og So. 0un. 200 was n tSef an
apology or rcparatiun. Tn" RooSsEei
republicans argued along tnc same lines
uamcly that the twenty million was an
.pology AND that America had commit
,ed NO wrong Out Of thc Ne2uei!c;tn
membership or 81, iOuFl"'h TsScFIeU IL"
party standard and voted aga ms; r:'t:tl-
cation IL. 80 Ecp1htican votes re-
naming would hav. been useless except
tha; out % the Democratic mem5e-Sh!p
~ 81. ali hu, five isuAd up >"idly with
che republicans. Thus q coalition OF ~
Republicans and % Democrats ratified
the first treaty that has gone through
the senate In macy y"arS. II - signih-
cart Gt what may happen with otn"r
.-stticS especially the amended EeT-
saillcS pact and league OF nations with
reservations except for the bitter parn-
;anship Of certain minority groups
which held tue Oa lance Of power INSIDE
tho councils Of each part.
Tho outstanding fact IS that when
The nations interests demand X. coan-
ion in the senate r@t.fieS L treaty over
which there has been seventeen years OF
controversy. II strengthens the hopo
that some day perhaps n"i rs long a.
seventeen years urf :. combination OF
Republicans and Democrats VII ratity
he Versailles treaty which thus Tar mas
oeen debated ouIy TWO years.