The first obstacle to such a project lay in the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty with Great Britain.That obstacle Blaine had attempted in vain to remove; in fact his bungling diplomacy had riveted it yet more closely by making Great Britain maintain it as a point of honor.To this subject Hay now devoted himself, and as he encountered no serious difficulties, a treaty was drawn up in 1900 practically as he wished it.It was not, however, popular in the United States.Hay preferred and arranged for a canal neutralized by international guarantee, on the same basis as the Suez Canal; but American public sentiment had come to insist on a canal controlled absolutely by the United States.The treaty was therefore rejected by the Senate, or rather was so amended as to prove unacceptable to Great Britain.
Hay believed that he had obtained what was most desirable as well as all that was possible, that the majority of the American people approved, and that he was beaten only because a treaty must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate.He therefore resigned.President McKinley, however, refused to accept his resignation, and he and Lord Pauncefote were soon at work again on the subject.In 1901 a new treaty was presented to the Senate.
This began by abrogating the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty entirely and with it brushing away all restrictions upon the activity of the United States in Central America.It specifically permitted the United States to "maintain such military police along the canal as may be necessary to protect it against lawlessness and disorder." By interpreting this clause as allowing complete fortification, the United States has made itself the guardian of the canal.In return for the release from former obligations which Great Britain thus allowed, the United States agreed that any canal constructed should be regulated by certain rules which were stated in the treaty and which made it "free and open to the vessels of commerce and of war of all nations observing these Rules, on terms of entire equality," in time of war as well as of peace.This time the treaty proved satisfactory and was accepted by the Senate.Thus one more source 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.
