9
r
i
I
J
PRESIDENT
TO CONGRESS
Chief Executive Sends Message to
People's Lawmakers
HANDLES MATTERS BEFORE PUBLIC
Favors Lewis and Clark Exposition Undesirable
Class of Immigrants Should be Kept Out Ap
point Commission to Inquire Into Needs of Ship
pingExtend Rural Free Delivery Better Legis
lation for Alaska Panama Canal Question.
WASHINGTON, Dec. T. President i erlme nml offenses an J the subject of
Iloosivelt's meswgo to Congress wn rend ' naturnlliutioti. Ilecent Investigations
before th Senate an J liouao today. The
text of the mi i ii follow:
To the Senate and Home of lteprecnta-
Uvcj:
The countrr la to be congratulated on
the amount of substantial achievement
which haa marked the paat year, both
a retards our foreign and a regard our
domestic policy.
With a nation aa with a man the most
Important thins are those of the house
hold, and therefore the country Is spe
cially to be congratulated on what ha
been accomplished In the direction of pro
viding for the exercise of supervision over
the great corporations and combinations
of corporations encased In Interstate com
merce. The Congress has created tne ue-
have shown it deplorable state of affair
In these thnv matters of vital concern.
II)' various frauds and by foruerles ahd
perjuries, thousand uf acres of the pub-
lie uomain. embracing lands of different
character ard extending- through vari
ous sectlonn of the country, have been
dishonestly acquired.
ALASKAN DOUNDARY.
Decision of the Commission Removes
Question Which Caused Alarm.
For several years past tho rapid de
velopment of Alaska and the establish
ment of growing American intermit in
regions therefore unsurveyrd and Imper-
tnrrmi nml. In nuuiy Ittatuiice. so power
ful ns U make It evident tliul liunollcont
result would follow from their appear
nnoo nt tho name llino before llio liar uf
that miKtiHt tribunal uf eneo.
Our hoiisH in that regard Imvn been re
alized. Iluesln and Austria lire represent
ed In the persons of the learned iitttl ills-
iiiiruiiuiimi jmUts who compose tho tri
bunal, wlilio Great llrltuln, Germany,
Frtllicv, HiniIii, Itnly. llolglum, tho Neth
erlands. Hneiiru i iid Norway. Mexico,
the United Htittett and Venezuela nro rep
resented by their respective ngent and
counsel. Uueh an Imposing concourse uf
nations presenting their arguments to and
Invoking thn decision uf that high court
of ItilerniillimMl Justice and International
lioe win hardly fall to ecure n llko sub
mission uf muny future controversies
rh nation now upiKMtrlug there will nml
It far iMiMer to npprnr there it second
time, whtlo no nation ran Imitglnn Its Just
pride will bo lessened by tallowing the ex
ample now prevented. This triumph of
wia principle or international arbitration
Is n stibjeet of warm congratulation, and
utters it happy augury for tho peace of
inu wonu.
partment of Commerce and Labor. Includ- u?" " , " " Y " """
trur the Bureau of Corporations, with for ".'""' VhTtoiUrii ,l,n,tlcn, ,'L,,n.n?1
the first time authority to secure proper CcOon. of tm'.Ti S T" ,h? AUrU.
publicity of such proceedings of these ' V,'0," uoUJh .. .",' V? "ViT1
treat corporations us the public has the "J""J ";, t lh.?"1hln ,h rFf .' "
ti.M . Ui,. u ha. nrovlded for the ' ?" "I""1. .PU,n ' Husela. the pro-
expediting of suit, for the enforcement of """ "J"" V" ,ha -
the Federal anti-trust law; and by an- J"- .? V. tT,::1 A,a,k,n
other law It ha. seared equal treatment ?'n T?" ?'. to
to nil producers In the transportation or . :v- TT",:',,,": ' ," ."T,"", " 7 .""" "r
thj- Za. ihu. t-vmc- - ion stride "?. -" Blatva. of it strip of territory
niong tne continental mainland from the
weeiern snore ol I'ortland Canal m
their goods, thus taking a lone stride
forward In rMKlnr effectlvo the work of
the Interstate Commerce Commlsswn.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
Indications Are That the Surplus of
the Present Year Will Co Small.
Ftom alt sources, exclusive of the pos
tal service, the receipts of the Government
for the last fiscal year aggregated .
C7L The expenditure for the Mine period
were KXK.vM.W7. the surplus for the IUchI
year being tit.37.7. The Indications are
that the surplus for the present fiscal year
will be very small, If Indeed there be any
surplus. A targe surplus 'm cer
tainly undesirable. Two years ago the
war taxes were taken off with tht expresn
Intention of equalising tho Governmental
receipts and expenditures, and though the
first yesr thereafter still showed n surplus
It now seems likely that a aubstantlal
equality of revenue and expenditure will
be attained. Such being the case It Is of
great moment both to exercise care and
economy In appropriations, and to scan
sharply any change In our fiscal revenue
system which may reduce our Income.
Need of Financial Situation.
Tho Integrity of our currency Is beyond
question, and under present conditions It
would be unwise and unnecemary to at
tempt a reconstruction of cur entire mone
tary system. The same liberty should In-
grsnted the Secretary of the Treasury to
deposit the customs receipts as Is granted
htm In the deposit of receipts from other
sources. In my mearage of December S.
1501, I called attention to certain needs of
the financial situation, and I again ask
the consideration of the Congresa for these
questions. .
IMMIQRATION.
Undesirable Class Must Be Kept Out,
That Wanted Better Distributed.
We can not have too much Immigration
of the right kind, and we should have
l. one at all of the wrong kind. The need
ta to devise some system by which unde
sirable Immigrants shall be kept out en
tlrely while desirable Immigrants are
properly MIstrlbuted throughout the coun
try. At present some districts which need
immigrants have none; and In others,
where the population U already congest
ed. Immigrants come in such numbers ns
to depress the conditions of life for thoso
already there During the last two years
the Immigration service at New York has
been greatly Improved, and the corruption
nnd Inefficiency which formerly obtained
there have been eradicated. This service
has Just been Investigated by a commit
tee of New York cltlrens of high sisni
!ng. Messrs. Arthur V. Urlesen, Lee IC.
Frankel, Eugene A. I'hllbln, Thomas W
Hynes and Ilalph Trautmnn. Their report
deals with the whole situation at length,
and conoludes with certain recommenda
tions for administrative and legislative
action. It In now receiving the attention
of tho Secretary of Commerce and Labor.
FRAUDS IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
Appropriations Urged to Investigate
Land and Postal Affairs.
In my last annual message, In connec
tion with the subject of the due regula
tion of combinations of capital which are
or tmy become Injurious to the public, I
recommend a special appropriation for the
better enforcement of the antitrust law
as It now stands, to be expended under
the dlreotlon of tho Attorney-General. Ac
cordingly (by the legislative, executive and
Mount St. Kilos, following nnd wirround-
ing me indentations or the coast and In
cluding the Islands to the westward. Its
description of the landward margin of the
strip was Indefinite. ratlng on the sup
posed existence of a continuous ridge or
range of mountains skirting the coast,
as figured in the charts of the early navl
Wtors. n xtjg qu.
tlons of revenue administration on the
Btlklne niver led to the establishment of
a provisional demarcation, crosilng the
channel between two high peaks on either
sldo, about :i miles tibovo the river
mouth. In ISa slmll.tr questions growing
out of the extraordinary development of
mining Interests In the region about the
hrad of Lynn Canal brought about a tem
porary modus vlvendl. by which a con
venient mparatlon was msde at the
wawrsneti uividra or the White and Chll
coot passes, and to the north of .-luk-wnn.
on the Klehlnl Itlver. These partial
oiiu icntauro aajusimcnts could not. In
the very nature of things, be satisfactory
or lasting. A permanent disposition of
mo mauer oerame imperative.
After unavailing attcmnta in runh
understanding through a Joint High Com-
misston, (ouoweu by prol.iflged negotia
tions conducted In an amicable spirit, a
convention between the L'nlted Btates and
Oreat Britain was signed January Ji, IK,
providing for an examination of the .
Jeet by j mixed tribunal of six members,
three on a side, with a view to Its final
disposition, ltatlflrattona were exchanged
on March 3 last, whereupon the two gov
ernmenta appointed their respective mem
Ura This tribunal met In London
on September 3, under the presidency of
Lord Alverstone. The proceedings were
expeditious, and marked by n friendly
and condcentlous spirit The respective
cases, counter cases, ami arguments pre
nented the Issues clearly and fully. On
the Srth of October n majority of the
tribunal reached and signed an agreement
on all the questions submitted by the
terms of the convention.
CLAIMS AGAINST VENEZUELA.
Reference to The Hague Court a
Great Triumph for Arbitration.
It will be remembered that during the
second session of the last Congress Oreat
Ilrltsln. Germany and Italy formed an al
liance for the purpose of blockading the
ports uf Venezuela and uring such other
means of pressure as would secure n set
tlement of claims due, as they alleged, to
certain of their subjects. Their employ
ment of force for the collection of these
claims was terminated by an agreement
brought nbnut through the offices of the
diplomatic representatives of the United
States at Caracas and the Government at
Washington, thereby ending a situation
which was bound to cause Increasing fric
tion, and which Jeoparded the pence oi
the continent. Under this agreement Veil
n fl.i sgri-ed to . apart a certain per
centage of the customs receipts of two
of her ports to be applied to the paymsnt
of whatever obligations might 1m ancer-
talnwi by mixed commissions upjiolnted
for that purpose to be due from bar, not
only to the three power already men
tioned, whose proceedings against her had
resulted In n stato of war, but also to the
United Slates, Franc. Spain. Ilslglum.
tti Nottterlands, Sweden and Norway,
and Mexico, who lind not employed force
for tho collection of thn claims alleged to
pe uue to certain or incir citizens.
A demand was then mndo by tho so
called blockading powers that the sums
ascertained to be due to their citizens by
such mixed commlmlons should bo ac
corded payment In full before anything
Judicial appropriation act of February 23,
1903. 12 Stat., ttt, 904), the Congress ap
propriated, for the purpose of enforcing wal paii upon tne clams ot nny of ,
the various Federal trust and interstate- .called peace powers, Venezuela, on tho
commerce laws, tho sum of t-.0 to bo . olher hand, Insisted that all her creditor
expended under the direction of the At- ,outd bo paid upon a basis of exact
torney-Oeneral in the employment of ape-1 equality. During the efforts to adjust
cial counsel and agents in the Department this dispute It was suggested by tho
of- Justice to conduct proceedings and powers In Interest that it should be re
prosecutions under said lawa In the courts fcrrtd to mo for decision, but I was clear
of the United States. I now recommend. ', y 0f the opinion that a far wiser course
as a matter of the utmost Importance and would be to submit the question to tho
urgency, tho extension of tho purposes of permanent court of arbitration at The
this appropriation, so that It may be Hague. It seemed to mo to offer an ad
available, under the direction of the At- mlrable opportunity to advance the prac-torney-Oeneral,
and until used, for the tlce of tho peaceful settlement of dls
due enforcement of the laws nf the United putts between nations and to secure for
States In general and especially of the The Hague tribunal a memorable Increase
civil and criminal laws relating to pubila of its practical Importance. The nations lowed by a corresponding Increase In
lands and th laws relating to postal interested in the controversy were so nu-1 home-bulldlng. There la a tendency to
RURAL FREE-DELIVERY SERVICE
System Must De Extended, and Sal
aries of Carriers Adjusted.
The rural five dslltrry servlm Iihh been
steadily extended. The attention of thn
rungmp In asked to the question of the
compensation of the letter carriers ami
olerks engaged In the MMtNl service,
especially on the new rural freo-ilellvery
routes. More routes have been Installed
since the tlrsl of July last than In any
like period In the department's history
While a due regard to economy must bo
kept In mind In the establishment uf new
routes, let tho extvnslon nf the rural fr
delivery system must be continued, for
reasons or sound public policy. No Gov
ernmental muvement of recent years has
resulted In greater Immediate benefit to
tho people of the country districts.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPOSITION
Congress Should Give It 8upport as
Well as Recognition.
1 trust that tho Congress wilt continue to
favor In nil proper was the taulilsna
I'urchaie Kxpoalllon. This exposition
commemorates the !,nutslana ureha,
width was the Drat great step In the ex
pansion which made us it continental
Nation. The expedition of Lewis and
Clark ncroas the continent followed there
on, and marked the beginning ot the
process of exploration mihI colonisation
which thrust our Notional boundaries to
the 1'aeinc. The acquisition of the Oregon
Country. Including the present Stales of
Oregon and Washington, was a fact uf
Immense lmiortance In otir hlstury. first
giving us our place on the I'sclHr sea
board, and making ready the way for our
ascendency In the commerce of the great
eft of Ihe oceans. The centeunl.il of our
establishment upon thn Western Coast
by the expedition of I Is and Clark is
to be celebrated at I'ortland. Or., by nil
Kxpoeltlon In the Hummer of li and this
event should receive recognition and sup
port from Ihe National Government.
DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA.
Legislation Is Needed and the Survey
of Public Lands Urged.
I call your special attention to the Ter
ritory of Alaska. The country is develop
ing rapidly, and It has an ossdred future.
The mineral wealth Is great and has as
yet hardly been tapped. The fisheries. If
wisely immued and kept under National
control, will be a business as permanent
as nny otner, ana or tne utmost import
ance to the people. The forests. If
properly guarded, will form anotlier great
source of wealth. I'urtlons of Alsska
are fitted for fanning and atockrslMng.
althouiru the methods must be adapted to
the peculiar conditions or the country
Alaska Is situated In the Far North: but
o are Norway and Sweden and Finland,
and Alaska can prosper and play Its part
In the New World Just as those nations
have prospered and p.ayed their parts In
thn Old World, i'roper Is ml laws should
be enaeted und the survey ef the public
lands Immediately begun Coat-land laws
hold be provided whereby the coal-land
entryman may makn hln location and se
cure patent under methods kindred to
those now prescribed for homestead nml
mineral entrymen. Salmon hatcheries, ex
clusively under Government control,
ihould be established. The cable should
be extended from Sitka westward. Wagon
roads and trails should be built, ami the
building of railroads promoted In nil le
gitimate ways. Lighthouses should be
built along tho coast.
HAWAII.
Greater Power Should Be Vested In
the Governor.
I recommend that an appropriation be
made for building lighthouses In Hawaii,
ami taking ponessslon of those already
built. The territory should be reimbursed
for whatever a mounts It has already ex
pended for llghthouaes. The Governor
should le empowered In suspend or re
move nny nlflclul appointed by him with
out submitting the mutter to the LegLs
Uituie. INSULARP038ES8I0NS.
Philippines Should Be Knit Closer by
Tariff Agreements.
Of our Insulnr nosSMSlnns thn l'Mlln.
pines and l'nrto HI It Is stratifying to
say that their moody progrosx bus been
sueh Uk to make It unnecessary to spend
much time In discussing thorn. Yet the
Ccngress should evsr keep In mind that
a Mculbir obligation rmts upon us to
runner
iniiM In lingo holding" public lands, is
peclitlly limber and KtHln land, mid
thereby to retard settlriusnt. I isnsw mid
emphiislin my reconiiusnilaltun of lart
year that so far as Ihey nro avail i'jI frr
nutleullurii In lis htoudest sense, mu to
whatever extent Ihey limy be rechll.nml
uitler tho national Urination '.aw, the ie
mntnlng public lands should bo held
rigidly for Ihu liuim-bulldar. Tlio nlisn
tlon of tlio Congresi Is especially ditn'ted
to the limber ami stone law, thn ilt-sort-l.nd
law, und Ihu iHimmulntlon clause
or the homestead law. which In lhlr oier
utlim have In many respects oonlllrted
w'lh wle vunll'-laiiil policy. The il'seus
slons In Ihe Congress nnd elaswhere have
mad It evident that there Is it ld ill
velgencc of opinions between tlwiso luili
lug opposite leH on these subjects; i r.d
Hint the opposing sides have Hiring Mid
rouvlnred representatives of weight Ih
within and without the t'ougressi Ihe dif
ferences being mil only ns to mutters of
opinion, but us In mutters of fact.
Reclamation of Arid Lands.
The work of reclamation of the arid
Inndi nf th West Is Droit resell! steadily
ami satisfactorily under the terms of the
law setting nalds lite, proceeds from tne
disposal or public lands. The corps of
engineers known ns the teclamnllnii
service, which Is conducting the surveys
and examinations, has broil thoroughly
orgHnlMHl, especial twins being taken to
seeuio under the civil service rules a
body of skilled, experienced mid elllclrnt
men. Hurves nml examination are
progressing throughout the arjd stales nnd
territories, plans for reclaiming works be
ing prepared nnd lasted upon by boards
of engineers before approved by the Sec
retary of thn Interior In Arizona nnd
Nevndn. In localities where such wurk la
pre-eminently needed, construction hits al
ready been begun. In other parts of Ih
arid West various projects are well ad
vanced towards tho drawing up of con
tracts, these being delayed In part by
neceaaltles of reaching agreements or un
derstanding as regards rights of way or
acquisition of real ealale.
PRESERVATION OF FORESTS.
Need There. f Is Recognlred Now as
Never Before.
The study of Ihe opportunities of recla
mation of the vast extent uf arid land
show that whether I hi reclamation Is
done by Individuals, corporations, or Ihe
stale, the sourres ot water supply must be
effectively protected ami Ihe reservoirs
guarded by Ihe preeervatlmi of the for
ests at the headwaters of the streams.
Thn engineers making the preliminary ex
amination continually emphasize this
need and urge that Ihe remaining public
lands at the headwaters of Ihe Important
streams ot Hie West he reserved to In
sure permanency of water supply fer Ir
rigation Much progress In forestry tins
been made during the (Mint year The ne
cessity for perpetuating our fereai re
sources, whether In public or prlvnl
hands, is recognized now as never be
fore. The demand far forest reserve has
become Insistent In Ihe West, because tho
Wesl must use the water, woo. I and Hum
mer range which only such reserve ran
supply. The admin
istrative feature of forest reserve area!
present unsatisfactory, being divided Be
tween three bureaus ef two driwrlmenls.
It Is therefore recommended that lk mat
ters pertaining to forest reserves, exeept
those Involving or pertaining to la ml
title, be consolidated In the Ilureau of
Forestry of Ihe Department ot Agriculture.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Agents Should Not De Dependent
Upon Partisan Politics.
The Indian agent should not b depend
ent fur their nppelntment or temiro of
oilleo uion consideration of partisan poli
ties: the practice nf appointing, when
possible, ex-nnny officers or bonded super
intendents lo thn vacancies that occur l
working well. Attention Is invited to lh
widespread Illiteracy due to Isek of pub
lic echools In the Indian Territory. Prompt
heed should be paid to the need of edu
cation for the children In this territory.
PENSIONS.
No Other Class Deserves So Vell of
the Nation as the Veterans.
No other class of our citizens deserve
so well of the Nation n those lo whom
Ihe Nation owes Its very being, the vet
erans of the Civil War. Hpoelal attention
Is asked lo the excellent work of the
reunion Ilureau In exiiedltlng nml ill.
loosing of iwnslon claims. During the
ImhmI year ending July I. IMS, the Ilureau
settled JIl.Mt claims, an average uf I3t
claims for each working day of thn )er.
The number of settlements since July I,
1M. ban been In excess of last year's
average, approaching IOC) claims for each
working day. and It Is believed that the
work of the Ilureau will bo current, at
the eluse or Ihe present fiscal year. '
THE ARMY.
System of Promotion by Mere Senior
ity Is Not Well.
The effect of tho laws providing a gen
eral staff for the Ann. und for tlio morn
effective use of Ilia National Guard, has
been excellent Great Improvement haa
been mndo In Ihe eltlclenry of our Army
In roeent years. Such school ns those
creeled at Fort Leavenworth and Fort
Itlley und Ihe Institution of Full maneuver
work aflcompllsliul satlefnctory results,
The good effect of Iheso maneuvers upon
the National Guard Is marked, and ample
appropriation should Jio made to enubla
tno guardamori of the sevnrul states to
share In tho benvllt. Tho Government
should us noon us possible secure sullubls
pormanent ouinp niton for military man-
111 every wnv the walfnr nf i
the communities. The l'hllllnnlnu uuvors In the various suctions of the oaiin
Miould be knit closer to us by tariff ur- i irv- 'I,le servlco thereby rendered not
rngumsnts.
PUBLIC LANDS.
Necessity for Revision of the Laws Is
Pointed Out.
The cash receipts or the General Land
Offlee for tho last flseul year were
Ill.WUUM. nn Incrcnio or 11.702,810.47
over the preceding year. Of this sum,
approximately, tH.iClAti will go to Ihe
credit of the fund for tho reclamation
of ark" land, making the total of till)
fund, up to tho Milt of June, 1901, ap
proximately, f 16.191.830.
Experience has shown that In the West
ern Stnte themselves, as well as In tho
rl of the country, there Is widespread
conviction that certain of the publlc-.nnd
Iuwh and the resulting admlnlstritlve
practice no longer meet the present needs,
T,o craracter and uses of tho remaining
public lands differ widely from those of
the public lands which the Congress had
especially In view when these laws ware
piijcd The rapidly Increasing rate of
disposal of the public lanu m not ioi
'only to the regulur Army, but tu tho Nu
tlonnl Quard of tho several states, will bo
so great as to repay many times over the
rolutlvcly small expense.
THE NAVY.
There Must Be No Let-Up In Work
of Increasing It.
Shortly after thn enunciation of that fa
mous principle of American foreign pol
icy now known as the "Monroe Doctrine,"
President Monroe, In it special messuga
to Congreist, un Jnnuury 30, 1134, spoko as
follows: "Tho Nuvy Is tho arm from
which our Government will ulwuys derlvo
moat aid In support of our . , , rights.
Kvery power engaged In war will know
tho strength of our naval power, the
number of our ships of each class, their
condition, and the promptitude with
which wo may bring them Into service,
and will pay duo consideration to that
argumont."
I heartily congratulate tho Congress
upon the steady progress In building up
the -merlcan Navy. We cannot afford a
let-up In this great work. To stand still
mean to go back. There should bo no
cessation III milling lo the tTetlve uf
ot tho Untiling strength uf the ilt-ou
ISTHMIAN CANAL.
Rovlew of Dealings With Colombia,
and Recent Events.
Ilv the net uf June l, IWJ, tint emigre
Aiithoi Ized tilt I'realdont to enter into
treaty Willi Colombia fur thn building of
tho oh mil nvniss the latlumi of I'aitnmiti
It being vruvlded that In Ihe event or
failure In seriire such treaty nfler llin
In pa nt u reasonable lima, recourse sliHIIIil
be had to building n rninil llirnuxli Nl.
pHNtxim. It has not been necessary in
eolialder Ihls alternative, as I am eimtiteil
to My before Ihe Memile n treaty prflVld
Inn for the building of the eniml nernss
Ihe Islhmtl of Panama. This war (lie
route which commended Itself to the de.
Illxrnte Judgment nf Ihe Congress, nnd
we can now acquire by treaty Ihe right
In construct th eannl over this ruutn.
The question now. therefore, I net by
which mule the Islhinlnn canal shall bo
built, for that question has been definitely
nnd Irrevocably derided. Thn question I
simply whether or not we shall have en
Isthmian cnmil.
Mat Hprlng. under the nel above, re
ferred to, a treaty ennoludeil between Ilia
representatives of th lteptilille at Colom
bia and ur our Government was rnUrled by
the Senate, This Iresty ws entered InU
nl Ihe urgent sollrllstlon of Ihe people
ot Columbia, and after a body of kfisfi
appointed by our Government especially
lo go Into the matter or the route ssroa
the lathlim had pronounced UHtfHllntHlely
III favor of the Panama route. In draw.
Ing up Hits treaty every concession wa
made in the iieople and lo Ihe Govern
ment nf Colombia. We wrre more I ban
Just In dealing wlh them. Our genero
It - was sueh as lo mnke It a serious mira
tion whether we had not gone too far In
their Interest at the expense of our own:
for In our scrupulous deilr to My sll
possible heed, not merely lo the real, but
even o ihe fancied rights of our weaker
neighbor, who already owed so mush to
our protection nnd forbearance, wn yield
ed In nil posaihl ways In her desires In
drawing up Ihe treaty. Nevertheless the
Government of Colombia not merely re.
pudlftled the treaty, but repudiated It In
such manner as in make It evident by
the lime the Colombian Cungrra ad
journed that not Ihe scantiest hope re
mained of ever getting a sntlafsetsry
ireaty from them The Government or
Otlomltta made Ihe treaty, ami yet when
the CeloHtbhui Congrem was called la
ratify It Ihe vole against ralinealesa ww
unanimous. II doe not appear that Ih
government made any real eftert lo se
cure ratification
Immediately nfler th adjournment or
the Congress a revolution broke out In
ISmama. Thn people or Panama had Ions
been discontented with the Heptihila of"
I'olomlds. and tby had leti kepi quiet
only by the pmapect of the eeftltH4n ef
Ihe treaty, which wn lo them a matter nf
vital concern. When It lieewm evident
that tne treaty wn hopely (oat, the
people of Panama rose literally a nnet
man. Not n shot won fired by rt slngln
man on the lalhmus In Ihe Interest ef
the Colombian Government Not n llfn
ws Imi In the n4ompllhmenl of Ih
revolution. The Colombian troop sta
tioned on Urn Isthmus, who had long ben
unpaid, made common riuo with the poo
pin of Panama, and with netontaMng
unanimity th new llepuhlle was starlet),
Th duty of the I'nlled Hlaln In Ihe
premise was clear. In strict aeeordstn
wllh the principals laid down by Heare
tail's Os nnd Hsward In the offlilnl dou,
menu above quoted, the United Stale
gave rtollee that It would permit the
landing of no exedltlonary force, Ike or
rival of which would mean chaos ami de
struction along ih llns of the railroad
ami nf Ihe proposed eanal. ami an Inter
rupllon of transit as an Inevitable ranee
quenee. The tie fscto Government ot
Panama wns recognized In the following
telegram to Mr Rhrman:
"The people or Panama have, by appar
ently unanlmowt movement, deWlvrd
tlmlr political connection wllh Ihe lletwh
He of Colombia ami reaumeil I heir las
lndcnre. When you are satisfied tfett n
d facto government, republican In farm
and without substantial opposition fremt
II own peopl. has been established in
th Minis of Panama, you wt enter IhIO
rein I Inn wllh It a th respoftMble gov
ernment or the territory and look lo It
for all due action to protect the person
mf property or citizen or the United
Slate and to keep omhi the Isthmian
IruiMll, In accordance wllh Ih obllitollip
of existing treaties governing the rea.
liens or the United States lo that terri
tory." The control. In Ihe Interest of th sem
mere and traffic of the whole civilized
world, of Ihe mean or undisturbed lntn
It ncroas th Isthmu or lanamH haa be
come or transcendent Importance lo th
l'nlted gut. We have repoatadly axsr
clse-l IhU control by Intervening In tho
course or demeotle dbwennlon. nnd by
protecting th territory from foreign In
vasion, in ItU Mr. Kvnrelt nteurrd the
Peruvian Minister thai wn should not hes
itate to maintain th neutrality or Ih
Isthmu In th rase or war between Peru
ami Colombia. In IM Colombia, whlsh
haa alwna been vigilant to avail Haojf
of Its privileges conferred by the Ireaty,
expressed Its expectation Hut In the event
or wnp between Peru nml Hpaln tho United
Hlales would carry Into effect tlio guar
ant of neutrality There have been few
administrations of the Hints Department
In which this treaty has not, either by
thn one aldo or the other, been uaed n a
basis of more or less Important demonds.
II wn said by Mr. Fish In 1171 that the
Department of fllnte had reason to be
lieve that an attack upon Colombian soy.
erelgnly on Ihe lathmus had, on several
occasion, been averted by warning from
this Government.
Kvery effort has been made by tho Gov
ernmmit of the United Hlatra to persuade
Colombia to follow n course whleh wn
ssnutlitlly not only to our Interest nml
to tho Intereats or the world, but to tho
IntereelH of tXilombln tlseir. Thsno efforts
hnvo failed, and Colombia, by her persist
euro In repulsing the advance that Imvn
boon made, 1ms forced us, for Ihu sake of
our own honor, und of tho Interest and
well-being not merely or our own people,
but or Ihe poople or thn Isthmus ot Pan
ama and tha people of tho Llvllltcd coun
tries of the world, (o tnlio decisive slop
to bring to nn end n condition of affairs
which had bocomu Intolerable Tho new
llrpubllo of l'u n i! m u Immediately offered
to nrgntlnle n treaty with us. This treaty
f herewith submit, lly It our Intereats
ore bettor safeguarded than in tho treaty
with Colombia, which wa ratlDed by the
Henato at II last session. It I better in
Hh terms than tho treaties offered to u
by tho llepubllc of Nicaragua und Cos tu
ltlcu. At last tho right to begin this great
undertaking Is made available. Panama
has dono her purl. All that remains Is
for the American Congress to do It part,
and forthwith thl republla will enter
upon tho exacutlon of a project colossal
In Its size and of well-nigh Incalculable
possibilities for the Kood of till country
nnd tho nation of mankind.
TIUOODOltia noOSHVELT,
Whit House, December 7. IH.
'A