Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
Continued from First Page)


/. of the rivers which furnish the water
for operating the locks of the cana !.
The cession Of this territory 10 the
United States has not only forced
Panama farmers to give up their
ranches-with fun payment. NJ course
but has deprived Panama Of the
sources Of taxation represented ny
such ranches and farms, ana TINS
without compensation to the Panamah
government for this loss. This com
plant was not corrected IN the
treaty.
The political factors Of the docu-
ment, however. have been pretty
generally accepted in Panama. after
a lively discussion Of most of them.
As a matter of fact. the contention
made by Panama. and reiterated by
many foreign newspapers, that the
treaty was matter for action by
the League of Nations, because Pan
anna was a member of the League and
the treaty impaired her sovereignty,
has been quieted from Geneva itself.
There il is stated that the opinion
has been privately expressed TO
Panamans that the League had no
Jurisdiction. because the 1925 treaty
was not only as vet unratified but
the powers already granted in such
broad measure TO the United States
by the treaty of 1908.
War Proviso Exception.
The only possible exception seemed
the provision that Panama was TO
consider herself in a state of war
whenever the United States was at
war. but this is also implied. if not
SO definitely expressed, in the 1903
treaty. The objections of the PAM
mans TO this was. as matter of
fact. largely an echo Of the general
unrest in Latin America over the
recent developments in Nicara qua.
The Panamans did not relish the
prospect, their orators said, of going
to war with Mexico because of United
States oil wells and bank loans. II
is A feeling which will pass with the
passing of the Mexican crisis-as will
a large part of the present Latin
American issues of the United States,
But on the side of fiscal or eco
n0mic sovereignty Panama certainly
has permanent discomfort over the
new treaty. A few of the issues have
been noted above. In addition there
was the question of the administra-
ton of health egulations-those have
now Dpcn turned over DnUllN, OF VII
tuallv. to the United States. which in
case of health conditions in any way
menacing the Canal Zone may take
over the whole administration. The
United States will in such a case pay
the bills, but she does not pay them
when the enforcement of elaborate
REGULATE tons are under the control of
Panama.
As to the road system, mentioned
above. the building of 26-fOot concrete
highways does seem rather an I'M
necessary luxury for Panama, and
when she has to pay for all the cost
but a stipulated sum paid by the
United States the question becomes
a serious fiscal one. SO does the pro-
vision in the treaty that Panama shall
spend exactly such and such sums,
appropriated biennially by her Con.
gress. for the upkeep of certain of the
strategic highways.
Strangely enough, however, Pana.
mas bitterest feelings are not over
such issues, but, as noted above, over
grocery stores in the Canal Zone.
The Panama Canal commissaries have
In the past sold their goods, imported
free Of duty. TO all who came to buy.
and have offered serious competition
to the merchants of Panama and cut