The Washington times., 1937-11-03
Paul MallOn---
NeWS Behind
The NelUS


AN ington until it has been
buried officially and nothing Is
ever buried officially, but
That treaty with Panama
about dividing responsibilities
with the United States for the
protection Of the canal in case
of war is under six feet OF
accumulated dust-permanent-
ly. And thereby hangs a tale
of as neat an inside job as ever
has gone unreported.
AL that State Secretary Hull
will now say is that his depart
ment is naturally still interested
in any treaty it has sent to the
Senate, even though the treaty
has not been acted upon. This
Is as near as a diplomat can
get to conceding something he
does not wish to concede, but
on the inside, where officials
speak more freely, it is generally
understood the subject will not
be pressed at the coming ses-
sion, or ever.
HERE is the way it happened:
IA The President sent UP to
the Senate in March, 1885, a
treaty settling differences that
had arisen or might arise with
Panama in our efforts to pro
tect the Canal Zone. Among the
things recommended was Joint
supervision Of all radio matters
in case Of emergency"
The Navy did not like that
and other similar restrictions,
and sent a confidential report
to the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, saying so. Later on
the report was withdrawn or the
Navy changed its mind, the
general assumption being that
the State Department had gone
upstairs and brought second
floor influence to use.
This did not change the
minds Of some Senators, notably
Hiram johnson of California,
who called the treaty "an out
rage on our people" He, virtu-
ally singlehanded, prevented the
committee from reporting it to
the Senate. Thus, it still re-
mains today in suspended in
animation.
The State Department ap-
parently still thinks (in obvious
self defense) that johnson was
needleSsly alarmed about diff
culties that might arise in naval
communications and other mat
ters in "event Of emergency" in
Panama. Not so the Navy. If
any Second.floor influence was
used there it has lost its use.
No official Navy comment Is
being made, but it is evident
the Navy hopes and expects to
have things left as they are.
And that is how they will be
left.
What has kept the story al.
most completely under cover is
the fact that the treaty has
never officially been made pub
lie.
A copy generally can be found.
if you look in the right place.
If you do this time, you will
find:
Most Of the treaty proposes to
settle minor differences Of ad.
ministration, even down to such
things as handling truck gar
deners and hucksters" on Pana-
manian and Canal Zone soil.
The State Department tried to
get around particular restric.
tions by Article 10, which reads:
I'm case Of an international con.
flagration or the existence Of
any threat Of aggression which
would endanger the security Of
Panama or the neutrality or Sc
cur1ty Of the Panama Canal,
the governments of the United
States Of America and Panama
will take such measures Of pre-
Vention and defense as they may
consider necessary for the protec-
ton Of their common interests"
But the radio provisions call,
for instance, for the transfer to
Panama of two naval radio sta
tions which the Navy ceased to
operate in July, 1885, and i'm.
poses other radio obligations
which sounded better at the time