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The Commoner
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 32,
CURR8NT
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IT IS NOW PLAIN THAT THE ISTHMIAN
canal will figure conspicuously in the com
ing session of congress. The rejection of the
treaty by the Colombian congress will, in the
opinion of many well informed men, open up tho
ontiro canal question for gonoral discussion. It is
understood that Senator Morg a will insist upon
changing tho route and adopting the Nicaraguan
lino. It will bo remembered by many that it was
freely predicted by Senator Morgan and others
wno favored tho Nicaraguan route that tho adop
tion of tho ranama route would result in failure
and that it was also charged by somo that the
Panama route was advocated by a number of men
who were roally anxious to destroy the canal pro
position altogether. There is nc mistaking Sena
tor Morgan's determination to push tho Nicaraguan
plan and it may not bo dou'ed that he will be ablo
to justify his position in a very substantial way.
FROM WASHINGTON COMES THE AN
nouncement through a somi-ofllcial channel
that Mr. Roosevelt has- no sympathy whatever
with tho Nicaraguan idea and that ho has no in
tention of having recourso to that route. Walter
Wellman, the Washington correspondent for tho
Chicago Record-Herald, who, by me way, has tho
habit of speaking for Mr. Roosevelt, says that if
the ponding treaty finally and completely fails,
Mr. Roosevelt will look about for other means of
acquiring the necessary rights at Panano. Mr.
Wellman says that " number of tho president's
advisers urgo him bluntly "to take what wo need."
Mr. Wellman says that probably there Is not an
other first class nation in the world that would
hesitate for a moment to seizj.the isthmus for the
purpose of conferring upon it and me world tho
boon of a great ship canal conn-jting the two
principal oceans of tho world; and this Washing
ton correspondent explains that "only mawkish
sentiment and fine-spun moral considerations stand
in the way of tho UnitpJ States, and these ob
stnc os are likely to bo swept away if the little
band of boodlers at Bogota continue to block
tho path of progress."
ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESMAN FOR
the administration, before tho time comes
when President Roosevelt -'111 be called upon to
demonstrate whether or not ho ha- enough nerve
to solve the problem with a man-o'-war and a
battalion of marines, there are various possibili
ties In the situation which must be permitted to
work out: 1. Tho Colombian congress1 may ratify
tho treaty without amendment in order to avert
the danger of the threatened secession of tho
states of Panama and Cauca. 2. If tho Colombian
legislators are not sufficiently impressed bv that
hazard, a million or two of French money con
tributed by the stockholders of the new Panama
Canal company, mr.y open their eyes. Unofficial
information received hero indicates that the, Pan
ama stockholders are watching tho situation very
carefully, and that they have an agent at Bo
gota. Rather than lose the chance to sell their
pioperty to the United. States they woulG probably
sJnonnnSJf t0 f.iV0 UP a mlllion or two of the
?40,000,000 purchase money to the Colombian re
calcitrants, and unless tho statesmen of Bogota are
much maligned, a million dollars would buy their
entire congress, bag and bapgacj. 3. If the treaty
is amended md then ratified there is a possibility
that the United States senate may accent the
amendments. It will all depend upon what the
amendments are. The state department continues
to assert unofficially that any amendment of the
treaty would be fatal. It is tho duty of state de
partment officials to say this for effect at Bogota
but it mayor may not be true. A modorate in
crease n the price of the concession might bo
nccopted by tho United States. A provision de
priving the United States of tho need contort
over the canal zone would not be accepted.
TT IS FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT IF EV
l erything else falls Panama and Cauca are
very likely to revolt and. set up -s an indpnnn.w
state and that if this revolt Zirs U Hno?take
the United States Rwr-mmont very Ion "tS recog
nfee heir independence and not much Ume win bo
lost in concluding the treaty with the now gov
ernment. Mr. Wellman says that the UimJri
States is already tho ultimate authority in that
region. He says that "by treaty wo are required
to maintain the freedom of transit across tho
isthmus. More than once has this government
found it necessary to preserve the peace by sta
tioning warsmps and landing marines there. If
a rebellion comes On, of course fighting will ensue,
and tho United States is already bound to inter
pose. If out of this ruction there emerges a now
isthmian state, protected by tho great North
American republic and with that great world en
terprise, tho canal, well as-mred, tho people of
Colombia will have their high-headed legislators
to thank for It"
BUT EVEN THIS REPUBLICAN CORRESPON
dent does not imagine that tho sailing ac
cording to this chart will bo entirely easy.- Re
ferring to the plan ho outlines, Mr. Wellman
says: Of course there will be no lack of senti
mental people in the United States who will set up
a cry of 'robbery' and 'rapine' and 'imperialism.'
But a number of senators and other public men
have already told President Roosevelt that, in
tho r opinion public sonti ent will uphold him.
JLthol.U?,t?d, States were to seize tho isthmus
through lust for territory .r to escape paying a
proper price for the canal concession, or through
, any other improper motive, the censure of the mor
alists would be well deserved. But everyone
knows that if circumstances push the United States
iii2UiC? aiLyentcrpriso tho step will be taken
unselfishly. We are to put $200,000,000 of money
iii an isthmian canal for the world's good as well
wh?" 2w,n- ho 10'000.0 and the annual bonus
In hl?r,la n has a chance to acuire will,
nniVS S?8?' e ald t0 the Istamian states. Tho
United States will carry to the isthmus not only
7,? trfGaSUres ,and great Prosperity, but the bless
2K?U1pe?,peace good government, improved
sanitation of the region, development of the re-
i?oe,tpvC?imtry; Even Colia will lose
fw ?S ?C?Pt the price of the concession, and
that her statesmen propose to throw away by de
feating the treaty." y y
AT THIS POINT MR. WELLMAN REVEALS A
tinn J"!6 8ecr.?t He says: "In thl! connec
tion it is interesting to know that for several years
J5SJ?ev8lit haS believed thG UnIted States must
5 ?J?iy p??a5,on of the Junius as a sort
of trustee for civilization. According to his phil-
?22P iyi0ners of great corporations have not
the right to do as they like with their property
regard ess of the interests of the people, nor have
the rulers of states tho right to do whatever thev
Please with their territory irrespSive of the
world's needs, or, as our forefathers put it, 'with?
out a decent regard for the opinions of mankind.'
These rulers of a state are directly trustees for
the people of that country, but indirectly thly a?e
trustees for the world's interests that may be
Twted- fSey mUSt stand or fal1 according as
they meet their responsibility. Spain's reeime in
.Cuba China and the South African repubS are
recent examples of the working of the Eer law
o? accountability beyond the frontiers The C
lombians stand in grave danger of adding their
country to the list." "wiuy uieir
CABh?MS. FS0M PEKING ANNOUNCE
V that Minister Conger has secured a written
tS UntodaiaS1!1 Gi?Ing t0 Sign a "reaty witS
den and Ta in?udin a guarantee that Mouk
o? J! 7 r?nB Kao shall be open ports from
and after October 8. The importance of this pronf-
Z p,nPan,G b the PekInS correspondent Sr
the Philadelphia Public Ledger in this way- ''Of
the two ports to be opened, Ta Tung Kao is an to
prove the more important. It lief on the dght
bank of the Yalu river, not far from its Tmofth
and close to it is the Korean town ot W ju, 2 X
portent trade center, which will prove S-IbStarV
to tho new port At present Ta Tung Kao does
SIS a,m,Unt t0 much' but raPid development it
looked for as soon as it becomes a treaty noil A?
first the United States government sSb to hate
Takushan made the open. port in this part of
Manchuria, buj; the Japanese favored Ta Tune Kao
and the United States abandoned Takushan in
fXF. t Ta TUIW a When Jt aPPred ?Sat the
latter is open all the year around, while Takus
han is closed by ico during several winter months
Moukden is at the head of navigation on I Jao river
and is the point from which caravans start throuch
Manchuria and Siberia., It is at present the laS
mart in Manchuria next to Niu Chwang."
THE TROUBLE IN MACEDONIA CONTINUES
with greater force than ever.1 It seems that
tue Macedonian troops are well armed and orean
ized and tnis alone gives promise of a long strutr
5 m 1 ? SOme quarters lfc Js believed that Russia
i LlnJer,veie' thIs nP beInS based on the action
of that couritry in sending a squadron of its fleet
JfoT1??13 Tte!is 0n August 16 was reported
tuat the Bulgarian government nad presented a
memorandum to the powers setting out at great
length the condition of affairs in Macedonia as
well as the causes for the present insurrection. On
olSfi day,' AHgust 17' lt was announced from
Constantinople that an imperial call had been is-
ITfJ0 52 additIonal battalions of troops, about
54000 men, to be sent to the disturbed territory.
0s0f a flerce fight in the neighborhood of
Monast ir came from Sofia, Bulgaria, on August
wa ? 1 Soln ftat thG Turks wero worsted, their
ess being 210- killed and wounded, after a battle
lasting six hours, it appears that Bulgaria is pre
paring to take part with Macedonia against Tur
&iivSL!? orted that Bulgaria has prac
tically mobilized an army, the troops now unde"
SS?piUnbePlns 70'000 ln that Principality. The
SSfT in the BalUan situation is
considered to be the attitude of the Turkish troops
nL ??y ? fhem are in a state insubordination,
and the lack of discipline among the soldiers is
ISJ, Trl5e?V. U'lB regardcd as possible that on
eSl L?e ?rge t0 thM toro,en nsuls at
noJinn L ?!? tn5 Turkisn ports, joint naval
action on the part of the European powers may
be accomplished. It is believed that the only way
to avert a bloody war in the Balkans is for tho
powers to insist upon a speedier enforcement of
the reforms in Macedonia and whether this course
will be- pursued remains to be seen.
A FRENCH SYNDICATE HAS JUST OB-
tained the Permission of Spain and Moroc
co after long negotiations to construct the great
submarine tube under tho Strait of Gibraltar,
lLIS011 ? 1e ?cheme of thQ faraous paris
engineer, M. Jean Berlier. TLe difficulties to bo
overcome were not so much geographical ob
stacles, as the task of inducing the government of
?? te ?i S! !5 COnSent to the undertaking.
Jniten ?S!!tlieBn?1Isn sought t0 influence the
sultan of Morocco 'against the scheme, but French
ShtSSS57 a n Pre,vailed and his consent was
obtained. A writer in the Cincinnati Encmirer
says: "The French syndicate has issued bonds to
cost Tl ? 123;00'000 rancs' to eSateS
Se n?w MniUDDe1, nand 119'00.000 francs for
month nf !S ?CC ,railay' t0 extend from the
2 n ,J ' th tunnel. The latter will be about 18
?rPd?;S? andi.run fr0m Tarifa to danglers. It is
greal nrp,tJ f T by thi3 enterprise will gain
?na? prestige in Morocco and will cripple Eng
land's power, so long maintained by Gibraltar
A JIPt, FEAT WAS Recently
t?'fhflPTv1d In Paris when one of the bridges
l7ln e' the, so-called Passerlie do Passy, was
fflpf 5Sd y.Md ClWly rolled UP the river for 90
5eJ ,brldg? ls a 80lid structure consisting
Sroq inn fnhf aVach end- eacu of which meas
feet thf inn' ?1 ,a central arch, measuring 136
rem-irSS w Prl?g?, weiShing 360,000 tons. The
six" wp nf Part f ihe feat was that after only
settJ lit ?f P:ev-ration for laying the rollers and
ent rog,H e ,wlnchS8, 24 men smced to move the
entire structure. The removal of this bridge was
groumrrntHy bynth WOrks of the new under
lZi,iHCal7 of ParIs' which railway
xihZ &&nt mtrIdes toward completion, and
STI WiI be one of the most perfect
the f world? underground electric railways in
RAPID PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN
k,.o 1 e aPPlication of electricity to variovil
blanches of work and not the least interesting is
JSiSSP 1 !? t0, a sculpturing machine recently
? bvd1atondon' A London cablegram to tho
?qi7 7? rld' undQr date of Au&"st 15, said:
ni ur-rConan DoylG an an American sculp
ior, vv. u Jones, have been exhibiting this week
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