Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-08
BY CASTOR NERVAL.


v VISITORS in Panama this Sum-
mer were somewhat surprised
" at the lively interest and the
excitement with which public
opinion awaited news Of the treaty
being negotiated at Washington with
the United States.
Despite the secrecy surrounding the
meetings Of the Panamanian repre-
sentatives with the officials of the
State Department, the newspapers at
Panama were full of conspicuous
headlines, editorials and rumors about
the probable outcome Of the negotia-
lions. At oficial functions the forth
coming treaty was the subject of dis
Greet inquiries and even more discreet
replies. At public discussions all
other matters were relegated to second
place-even the electoral campaign al
ready In full swing, which is saying
q great deal.
Nor was this popular interest the
expression of mere curiosity; it was,
rather, what may be termed a fight
ing interest. In their anxiety about
the possible terms of the new treaty,
it was easy to detect the resentment
and the suspiciousness aroused in the
Panamanians by the treatment here
tofore accorded them. They were out
spoken In their denunciation of the
injustices they had suffered under the
old treaty with the United States and
they were extremely skeptical about
the new deal" which they had been
told their representatives in Washing
ton were endeavoring to secure for
them.
Attitude Understandable.
To the person familiar with the his
tory Of United States-Panama rela-
tons, however, that state of mind Of
the Panamanian people should not
have been difficult to understand. 1t
is cause enough for complaint, and for
resentment, to have a treaty detri-
mental Of national sovereignty thrust
upon a people. under peculiar circum-
stances, and practically imposed by a
foreign power. But when to that Is
added Q misinterpretation and misuse
Of the treaty by the officials Of the
very nation which was granted ad-
vantages and privileges, that is. when
to the original imposition is added an
abuse Of the privileges given, the
grounds for protest and for redress
are indisputable.
No one ignores that in order to
secure the concessions necessary for
the construction. maintenance. opera
ton, sanitation and protection Of the
Panama Canal, the United States did
not stop short Of lending indirect. but
very effective, assistance In the sepa-
ration Of Panama from Colombia and
its constitution into an independent
republic. And nobody will deny, today,
that the price for such an assistance
was ably exacted from the newly born
state when the terms Of the canal con-
cessions were settled. Instead Of the
joint jurisdiction Of the Canal Zone
proposed to Colombia, the United
States obtained from Panama the ex-
elusive and absolute jurisdiction over
1t. Instead OF the temporal grant sug-
gested to Colombia, Panama gave the
United States perpetual rights over
the zone. Instead of the conditions
and limitations specified in the COM
pact rejected by the Colombian Sen
ate, the United States secured from
Panama q series Of additional privt-
leges covering further appropriations
Of land. control Of the Panama Rail-
way, commercial concessions for the
zone "commissaries," ETC., and even
certain political rights in obvious det-
riment Of Panamanian sovereignty.
The hastiness and the peculiar
circumstances under which the orig
inal Canal treaty was signed by the
ill-famed Bunau Varilla, financially
interested In the Panama Canal, and