PANAMA CANAL FORTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 11 January 1911, Page 5

PANAMA CANAL FORTS.

« AMERICA'S TREATY RIGHTS. By Telegraph—Pi'css Association— Copyright(Rec. January 11, 1.14 a.m.) New York, January 10, Ex-Senator Foraker, of Ohio, has writ* j ten to Mr. Taft. declaring that the HayPauncefote Treaty left a discretionary | power to tho United States to fortify the Panama . Canal. An explicit stipulation was not insisted upon. . Mr. l'oraker claims that the treaty gives America.a free hand in the matter. The Hay-Pauncefot© Treaty of 1901 gives tho United States the Tight to • maintain such military police along the canal as may be necessary to .maintain it against lawlessness and disorder.' Mr. Foster, Chairman, of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the American House-of- Representatives,- recently said of tho treaty: It, these provisions mean anything, they mean that, so far as Great Britain is concerned, wo are bound by solemn treaty obligations to see to it that tho canal shall be and remain forever open to British.snips, in timo of war as well as m tune of peace. And while it is probably true that no other nation could claim any Advantage by virtue of this treaty, it is also true that we have thereby placed ourselves under moral obligation to maintain an open | canal for the ships of. .all. all times, in war as well as in peace.