ce　of　trouble　was　done　away　with；　and　the　first　obstacle　in　the　way　of　the　canal　was　removed。
  The　Clayton…Bulwer　Treaty　was；　however；　only　a　bit　of　the　tangled　jungle　which　must　be　cleared　before　the　first　American　shovel　could　begin　its　work。　For　over　twenty　years　a　contest　had　been　waged　between　experts　in　the　United　States　as　to　the　relative　merits　of　the　Panama　and　the　Nicaragua　routes。　The　latter　was　the　more　popular；　perhaps　because　it　seemed　at　one　time　that　Panama　was　preempted　by　De　Lesseps'　French　company。　This　contest　as　to　the　better　route　led　to　the　passage　of　a　law；　in　1902；　which　authorized　the　President　to　acquire　the　rights　and　property　needed　to　construct　a　canal　by　the　Panama　route；　on　condition　that　he　could　make　satisfactory　arrangements　〃within　a　reasonable　time　and　upon　reasonable　terms。〃　Otherwise；　Nicaragua　was　to　be　chosen。　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　now　President　and；　though　at　one　time　not　favoring　Panama；　he　decided　that　there　the　canal　should　be　constructed　and　with　his　accustomed　vigor　set　himself　to　the　task。
  The　first　difficulty　presented　by　this　route　was　the　prior　right　which　the　French　company　still　retained；　although　it　had　little；　if　any；　hope　of　carrying　on　the　construction　itself。　It　possessed　not　only　rights　but　also　much　equipment　on　the　spot；　and　it　had　actually　begun　excavation　at　certain　points。　The　purchase　of　all　its　properties　complete　for　40；000；000　was；　therefore；　not　a　bad　investment　on　the　part　of　the　Government。　By　this　purchase　the　United　States　was　brought　directly　into　relation　with　Colombia；　through　one　of　whose　federal　states；　Panama；　the　canal　was　to　be　cut。
  While　the　French　purchase　had　removed　one　obstacle；　the　De　Lesseps　charter　alone　would　not　suffice　for　the　construction　of　the　canal；　for　the　American　Government　had　definite　ideas　as　to　the　conditions　necessary　for　the　success　of　the　work。　The　Government　required　a　zone　which　should　be　under　its　complete　control；　for　not　otherwise　could　satisfactory　sanitary　regulations　be　enforced。　It　insisted　also　on　receiving　the　right　to　fortify　the　canal。　It　must　have　these　and　other　privileges　on　a　long　time　grant。　For　them；　it　was　willing　to　pay　generously。　Negotiations　would　be　affected；　one　could　not　say　how；　by　the　Treaty　of　1846　with　Colombia；*　by　which　the　United　States　had　received　the　right　of　free　use　of　the　isthmus；　with　the　right　of　maintaining　the　neutrality　of　the　district　and　in　return　had　guaranteed　to　Colombia　sovereignty　over　the　isthmus。
  *　Then　known　as　the　Republic　of　New　Granada。
  Hay　took　up　the　negotiations　with　the　Colombian　charge　d'affaires；　Dr。　Herran；　and　arranged　a　treaty；　which　gave　the　United　States　a　strip　of　land　six　miles　wide　across　the　isthmus；　on　a　ninety…nine　year　lease；　for　which　it　should　pay　ten　million　dollars　and；　after　a　period　of　nine　years　for　construction；　a　quarter　of　a　million　a　year。　This　treaty；　after　months　of　debate　in　press　and　Congress；　was　rejected　by　the　Colombian　Senate　on　August　12；　1903；　though　the　people　of　Panama；　nervously　anxious　lest　this　opportunity　to　sit　on　the　bank　of　the　world's　great　highway　should　slip　into　the　hands　of　their　rivals　of　Nicaragua；　had　urged　earnestly　the　acceptance　of　the　terms。　The　majority　of　the　Colombians　probably　expected　to　grant　the　American　requests　in　time　but　were　determined　to　force　the　last　penny　from　the　United　States。　As　Hay　wrote：　〃The　Isthmus　is　looked　upon　as　a　financial　cow　to　be　milked　for　the　benefit　of　the　country　at　large。　This　difficulty　might　be　overcome　by　diplomacy　and　money。〃
  President　Roosevelt　at　this　point　took　the　negotiations　into　his　own　hands。　Knowing　that　the　price　offered　was　more　than　just；　he　decided　to　depend　no　longer　on　bartering。　He　ordered　the　American　minister　to　leave　Colombia；　and　he　prepared　a　message　to　Congress　proposing　that　the　Americans　proceed　to　dig　the　canal　under　authority　which　he　claimed　to　find　in　the　Treaty　of　1846。　It　was；　however；　doubtful　if　Congress　would　find　it　there；　particularly　as　so　many　Congressmen　preferred　the　Nicaragua　route。　The　President　therefore　listened　with　pleased　attention　to　the　rumors　of　a　revolution　planned　to　separate　Panama　from　Colombia。　Most　picturesquely　this　information　was　brought　by　M。　Philippe　Bunau…Varilla；　a　former　engineer　of　the　De　Lesseps　company；　who　glowed　with　the　excitement　of　coming　events。　Roosevelt；　however；　relied　more　upon　the　information　furnished　by　two　American　officers；　who　reported　〃that　various　revolutionary　movements　were　being　inaugurated。〃
  On　October　10；　1903；　the　President　wrote　to　Dr。　Albert　Shaw；　of　the　〃Review　of　Reviews〃：
  〃I　enclose　you；　purely　for　your　own　information；　a　copy　of　a　letter　of　September　5th；　from　our　minister　to　Colombia。　I　think　it　might　interest　you　to　see　that　there　was　absolutely　not　the　slightest　chance　of　securing　by　treaty　any　more　than　we　endeavored　to　secure。　The　alternatives　were　to　go　to　Nicaragua　against　the　advice　of　the　great　majority　of　competent　engineers　some　of　the　most　competent　saying　that　we　had　better　have　no　canal　at　this　time　than　go　thereor　else　to　take　the　territory　by　force　without　any　attempt　at　getting　a　treaty。　I　cast　aside　the　proposition　made　at　the　time　to　foment　the　secession　of　Panama。　Whatever　other　governments　can　do；　the　United　States　cannot　go　into　the　securing；　by　such　underhand　means；　the　cession。　Privately；　I　freely　say　to　you　that　I　should　be　delighted　if　Panama　were　an　independent　state；　or　if　it　made　itself　so　at　this　moment；　but　for　me　to　say　so　publicly　would　amount　to　an　instigation　of　a　revolt；　and　therefore　I　cannot　say　it。〃
  Nothing；　however；　prevented　the　President　from　keeping　an　attentive　eye　on　the　situation。　On　the　16th　of　October　he　directed　the　Navy　Department　to　send　ships　to　the　Isthmus　to　protect　American　interests　in　case　of　a　revolutionary　outbreak。　On　the　2d　of　November；　he　ordered　the　squadron　to　〃maintain　free　and　uninterrupted　transit。。。。　Prevent　the　landing　of　any　armed　force　with　hostile　intent；　either　government　or　insurgent；　at　any　point　within　fifty　miles　of　Panama。〃　At　3：40　P。M。；　on　the　3d　of　November；　the　acting　Secretary　of　State　telegraphed　to　the　Isthmus　for　confirmation　of　a　report　to　the　effect　that　an　uprising　was　in　progress。　A　reply　dated　8：15　P。M。　stated　that　there　had　been　none　as　yet；　but　that　it　was　rumored　one　would　take　place　during　the　night。　On　the　4th　of　November　independence　was　proclaimed。　The　only　fatality　was　a　Chinaman　killed　in　the　City　of　Panama　by　a　shell　from　the　Colombian　gunboat　Bogota。　Its　commander　was　warned　not　to　fire　again。　On　the　6th　of　November；　Secretary　Hay　instructed　our　consul　to　recognize　the　new　republic；　and　on　the　13th　of　November；　President　Roosevelt　received　Bunau…Varilla　as　its　representative　at　Washington。
  This　prompt　recognition　of　a　new　state；　without　waiting　to　allow　the　parent　Government　time　to　assert　itself；　was　contrary　to　American　practice。　The　United　States　had　regarded　as　a　most　unfriendly　act　Great　Britain's　mere　recognition　of　the　belligerency　of　the　Southern　Confederacy。　The　right　of　the　United　States　to　preserve　the　neutrality　of　the　isthmus；　as　provided　by　the　Treaty　of　1846；　certainly　did　not　involve　the　right　to　intervene　between　the　Government　and　revolutionists。　On　the　other　hand；　the　guarantee　of　possession　which　the　United　States　had　given　to　Colombia　did　involve　supporting　her　Government　to　a　reasonable　extent；　yet　there　could　be　little　doubt　that　it　was　the　presence　of　American　ships　which　had　made　the　revolution　successful。
  The　possible　implications　of　these　glaring　facts　were　cleverly　met　by　President　Roosevelt　in　his　message　to　Congress　and　by　the　Secretary　of　State　in　the　correspondence　growing　out　of　the　affair。　The　Government　really　relied　for　its　justification；　however；　not　upon　these　technical　pleas　but　upon　the　broad　grounds　of　equity。　America　has　learned　in　the　last　few　years　how　important　it　is　for　its　safety　that　〃scraps　of　paper〃　be　held　sacred　and　how　dangerous　is　the　doctrine　of　necessity。　Nevertheless　it　is　well　to　observe　that　if　the　United　States　did；　in　the　case　of　Panama；　depart　somewhat　from　that　strict　observance　of　obligations　which　it　has　been　accustomed　to　maintain；　it　did　not　seek　any　object　which　was　not　just　as　useful　to　the　world　at　large　as　to　itself；　that　the　situation　had　been　created　not　by　a　conflict　of　opposing　interests　but　by　what　the　Government　had　good　reason　to　believe　was　the　bad　faith　of　Colombia；　and　that　the　separation　of　Panama　was　the　act　of　its　own　people；　justly　incensed　at　the　disregard　of　their　interests　by　their　compatriots。　This　revolution　created　no　tyrannized　subject　population　but　rather　liberated　from　a　galling　bond　a　people　who　had；　in　fact；　long　desired　separation。
  With　the　new　republic　negotiation　went　on　pleasantly　and　rapidly；　and　as　early　as　November　18；　1903；　a　convention　was　drawn　up；　in　which　the　United　States　guaranteed　the　independence　of　Panama　and　in　return　received　in　perpetuity　a　grant　of　a　zone　ten　miles　wide　within　which　to　construct　a　canal　from　ocean　to　ocean。
  CHAPTER　XVI。　Problems　Of　The　Caribbean
  As　the　acquisition　of　the　Philippines　made　all　Far　Eastern　questions　of　importance　to　the　United　States；　so　the　investment　of　American　millions　in　a　canal　across　t