of　twelve　grievances　which　varied　greatly　in　importance；　and　this　method　favored　trading　one　claim　against　another。　The　result　was　that　the　Commission；　failing　to　agree；　disbanded。　Nevertheless；　the　irritation　continued；　and　Roosevelt；　having　become　President；　and　being　a　person　who　was　constitutionally　opposed　to　shilly…shally；　suggested　to　the　State　Department　that　a　new　Commission　be　appointed　under　conditions　which　would　make　a　decision　certain。　He　even　went　farther；　he　took　precautions　to　assure　a　verdict　in　favor　of　the　United　States。　He　appointed　three　CommissionersSenators　Lodge；　Root；　and　Turner；　the　Canadians　appointed　two；　Sir　A。　L。　Jette　and　A。　B。　Aylesworth；　the　English　representative　was　Alverstone；　the　Lord　Chief　Justice。
  The　President　gave　to　Justice　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes；　of　the　Supreme　Court；　who　was　going　abroad　for　the　summer；　a　letter　which　he　was　〃indiscreetly〃　to　show　Mr。　Chamberlain；　Mr。　Balfour；　and　two　or　three　other　prominent　Englishmen。　In　this　letter　he　wrote：
  'The　claims　of　the　Canadians　for　access　to　deep　water　along　any　part　of　the　Alaskan　Coast　is　just　exactly　as　indefensible　as　if　they　should　now　suddenly　claim　the　Island　of　Nantucket　。。。。
  'I　believe　that　no　three　men　＇the　President　said＇　in　the　United　States　could　be　found　who　would　be　more　anxious　than　our　own　delegates　to　do　justice　to　the　British　claim　on　all　points　where　there　is　even　a　color　of　right　on　the　British　side。　But　the　objection　raised　by　certain　Canadian　authorities　to　Lodge；　Root；　and　Turner；　and　especially　to　Lodge　and　Root；　was　that　they　had　committed　themselves　on　the　general　proposition。　No　man　in　public　life　in　any　position　of　prominence　could　have　possibly　avoided　committing　himself　on　the　proposition；　any　more　than　Mr。　Chamberlain　could　avoid　committing　himself　on　the　question　of　the　ownership　of　the　Orkneys　if　some　Scandinavian　country　suddenly　claimed　them。　If　this　claim　embodied　other　points　as　to　which　there　was　legitimate　doubt；　I　believe　Mr。　Chamberlain　would　act　fairly　and　squarely　in　deciding　the　matter；　but　if　he　appointed　a　commission　to　settle　up　all　these　questions；　I　certainly　should　not　expect　him　to　appoint　three　men；　if　he　could　find　them；　who　believed　that　as　to　the　Orkneys　the　question　was　an　open　one。
  'I　wish　to　make　one　last　effort　to　bring　about　an　agreement　through　the　Commission　＇he　said　in　closing＇　which　will　enable　the　people　of　both　countries　to　say　that　the　result　represents　the　feeling　of　the　representatives　of　both　countries。　But　if　there　is　a　disagreement；　I　wish　it　distinctly　understood；　not　only　that　there　will　be　no　arbitration　of　the　matter；　but　that　in　my　message　to　Congress　I　shall　take　a　position　which　will　prevent　any　possibility　of　arbitration　hereafter；　a　position　。　。　。　which　will　render　it　necessary　for　Congress　to　give　me　the　authority　to　run　the　line　as　we　claim　it；　by　our　own　people；　without　any　further　regard　to　the　attitude　of　England　and　Canada。　If　I　paid　attention　to　mere　abstract　rights；　that　is　the　position　I　ought　to　take　anyhow。　I　have　not　taken　it　because　I　wish　to　exhaust　every　effort　to　have　the　affair　settled　peacefully　and　with　due　regard　to　England's　honor。'*
  *　W。　R。　Thayer：　John　Hay；　II；　209；　210。
  In　due　time　the　Commission　gave　a　decision　in　favor　of　the　American　contention。　Lord　Alverstone；　who　voted　with　the　Americans；　was　suspected　of　having　been　chosen　by　the　British　Government　because　they　knew　his　opinion；　but　I　do　not　believe　that　this　was　true。　A　man　of　his　honor；　sitting　in　such　a　tribunal；　would　not　have　voted　according　to　instructions　from　anybody。
  Roosevelt's　brusque　way　of　bringing　the　Alaska　Boundary　Question　to　a　quick　decision；　may　be　criticised　as　not　being　judicial。　He　took　the　short　cut；　just　as　he　did　years　before　in　securing　a　witness　against　the　New　York　saloon…keepers　who　destroyed　the　lives　of　thousands　of　boys　and　girls　by　making　them　drunkards。　Strictly；　of　course；　if　the　boundary　dispute　was　to　be　submitted　to　a　commission；　he　ought　to　have　allowed　the　other　party　to　appoint　its　own　commissioners　without　any　suggestion　from　him。　But　as　the　case　had　dragged　on　interminably；　and　he　believed；　and　the　world　believed；　and　the　Canadians　themselves　knew；　that　they　intended　to　filibuster　and　postpone　as　long　as　possible；　he　took　the　common…sense　way　to　a　settlement。　If　he　had　resolved；　as　he　had；　to　draw　the　boundary　line　〃on　his　own　hook；〃　in　case　there　was　further　pettifogging　he　committed　no　impropriety　in　warning　the　British　statesmen　of　his　purpose。　In　judging　these　Rooseveltian　short　cuts；　the　reader　must　decide　whether　they　were　justified　by　the　good　which　they　achieved。
  Of　even　greater　importance　was　the　understanding　reached；　under　Roosevelt's　direction；　with　the　British　Government　in　regard　to　the　construction　of　a　canal　across　the　Isthmus　of　Panama。　By　the　Clayton…Bulwer　Treaty　of　1850；　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain　agreed　to　maintain　free　and　uninterrupted　passage　across　the　Isthmus；　and；　further；　that　neither　country　should　〃obtain　or　maintain　to　itself　any　control　over　the　said　ship…canal；〃　or　〃assume　or　exercise　any　dominion　。　。　。　over　any　part　of　Central　America。〃　The　ship　canal　talked　about　as　a　probability　in　1850　had　become　a　necessity　by　1900。　During　the　Spanish…American　War；　the　American　battleship　Oregon　had　been　obliged。　to　make　the　voyage　round　Cape　Horn；　from　San　Francisco　to　Cuba；　and　this　served　to　impress　on　the　people　of　the　United　States　the　really　acute　need　of　a　canal　across　the　Isthmus；　so　that　in　time　of　war　with　a　powerful　enemy；　our　Atlantic　fleet　and　our　Pacific　fleet　might　quickly　pass　from　one　coast　to　another。　It　would　obviously　be　impossible　for　us　to　play　the　role　of　a　World　Power　unless　we　had　this　short　line　of　communication。　But　the　conditions　of　peace；　not　less　than　the　emergencies　of　war；　called　for　a　canal。　International　commerce；　as　well　as　our　own；　required　the　saving　of　thousands　of　miles　of　distance。
  About　1880；　the　French　under　Count　De　Lesseps　undertook　to　construct　a　canal　from　Panama　to　Aspinwall；　but　after　half　a　dozen　years　the　French　company　suspended　work；　partly　for　financial　reasons；　and　partly　on　account　of　the　enormous　loss　of　life　among　the　diggers　from　the　pestilent　nature　of　the　climate　and　the　country。　Then　followed　a　period　of　waiting；　until　it　seemed　certain　that　the　French　would　never　resume　operations。　American　promoters　pressed　the　claims　of　a　route　through　Nicaragua　where　they　could　secure　concessions。　But　it　became　clear　that　an　enterprise　of　such　far　reaching　political　importance　as　a　trans…Isthmian　canal；　should　be　under　governmental　control。　John　Hay　had　been　less　than　a　year　in　the　Department　of　State　when　he　set　about　negotiating　with　England　a　treaty　which　should　embody　his　ideas。　In　Sir　Julian　Pauncefote；　the　British　Ambassador　at　Washington；　he　had　a　most　congenial　man　to　deal　with。　Both　were　gentlemen；　both　were　firmly　convinced　that　a　canal　must　be　constructed　for　the　good　of　civilization；　both　held　that　to　assure　the　friendship　of　the　two　great　branches　of　the　English…speaking　race　should　be　the　transcendent　aim　of　each。　They　soon　made　a　draft　of　a　treaty　which　was　submitted　to　the　Senate；；but　the　Senators　so　amended　it　that　the　British　Government　refused　to　accept　their　amendments；　and　the　project　failed。　Hay　was　so　terribly　chagrined　at　the　Senate's　interference　that　he　wished　to　resign。　There　could　be　no　doubt　now；　however；　that　if　the　canal　had　been　undertaken　on　the　terms　of　his　first　treaty；　it　would　never　have　satisfied　the　United　States　and　it　would　probably　have　been　a　continual　source　of　international　irritation。　Roosevelt　was　at　that　time　Governor　of　New　York；　and　I　quote　the　following　letter　from　him　to　Hay　because　it　shows　how　clearly　he　saw　the　objections　to　the　treaty；　and　the　fundamental　principles　for　the　control　of　an　Isthmian　canal：
  Albany；　Feb。　18；　1900
  'I　hesitated　long　before　I　said　anything　about　the　treaty　through　sheer　dread　of　two　momentsthat　in　which　I　should　receive　your　note；　and　that　in　which　I　should　receive　Cabot's。*　But　I　made　up　my　mind　that　at　least　I　wished　to　be　on　record；　for　to　my　mind　this　step　is　one　backward；　and　it　may　be　fraught　with　very　great　mischief。　You　have　been　the　greatest　Secretary　of　State　I　have　seen　in　my　timeOlney　comes　secondbut　at　this　moment　I　can　not；　try　as　I　may；　see　that　you　are　right。　Understand　me。　When　the　treaty　is　adopted；　as　I　suppose　it　will　be；　I　shall　put　the　best　face　possible　on　it；　and　shall　back　the　Administration　as　heartily　as　ever；　but　oh；　how　I　wish　you　and　the　President　would　drop　the　treaty　and　push　through　a　bill　to　build　AND　FORTIFY　our　own　canal。
  *　Senator　Henry　Cabot　Lodge；　who　also　opposed　the　first　treaty。
  'My　objections　are　twofold。　First；　as　to　naval　policy。　If　the　proposed　canal　had　been　in　existence　in　'98；　the　Oregon　could　have　come　more　quickly　through　to　the　Atlantic；　but　this　fact　would　have　been　far　outweighed　by　the　fact　that　Cervera's　fleet　would　have　had　open　to　it　the　chance　of　itself　going　through　the　canal；　and　thence　sailing　to　attack　Dewey　or　to　menace　our　stripped　Pacific　Coast。　If　that　canal　is　open　to　the　warships　of　an　enemy；　it　is　a　menace　to　us　in　time　of　war；　it　is　an　added　burden；　an　additional　strategic　poin