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Show f PANAMA, THE BABY NATION OF THE WORLD, CELEBRATES HER TENTH BIRTHDAY I "baby" nation of the Ihsbf world, ls to celebrate hor ) tenth birthday A- She ls tho earth's youngest nation, but not the newest republic. Blnce she Joined the more or less happy family of nations Portugal and China havo abandoned the ranks of the monarchies and have become republics. Comparing the infant nation with a A little human being, it may be said that m Panama is still held in leading strings. I She ! not yet out of the nursery, for I the United States, which has been act- E tng as a foster mother to her, exer- f rises control over her relations with J foreign nations. Tho completion of the I Panama canal, lying in tho zone which stretches clear across the territory of the republic of Panama, makes It cer tain that tho United States will continue con-tinue her supervision over the external relations of Panama, Otherwise Panama ls Independent. Per Internal affairs are her own, pro vided she guides them prudently. The United States has no thought of permitting per-mitting her to become one of the little "convulsive republics" whose administration adminis-tration Is a story of constantly recurring recur-ring revolutions and grabs for spoils, with incidental bloodshed, insecurity of life and property and disturbance of trado and internal and external affairs. Panama, under the eye of hor big guardian in the north, must behave. She knowB It, too, and Is acting In a way to win commendation from students stu-dents of International affairs. Political Po-litical conditions are quiet under the able hand of President Porras and his advisers. There ls security of life and goods throughout the little republic, trade Is good and the throngs of visitors visit-ors to the canal bring much money to tho isthmus. What more can a Pana-man Pana-man want unless he ls numbered among tho Latin-Americans to whom annual or semiannual revolutions are Included in the necessaries of life? It was on Nov. 3, 1903. that tho Inhabitants In-habitants of the department of Panama, Pana-ma, United States of Colombia, declared de-clared their state an Independent republic re-public Thoy had long been dissatisfied dissatis-fied with the rule of the politicians at Bogota. A provisional government, consisting of three consuls and under-offlcials, under-offlcials, was established on Nov. 4. The Colombian troops, sent to Colon and Panama In anticipation of such action, sided with the seceders and offered of-fered no resistance to the setting up of the new order of affairs. On the 4th the soldiers evacuated the Isthmus. The United States gunboat Nashville, then in tho gulf of Mexico, was ordered to Colon to safeguard the Interests of Americans on the Isthmus and to watch over the safety of the translsthmlan railroad. A special meeting of the United States cabinet was called by President Roosevelt and additional vessels of war wero sent to both the gulf and the TacHlc sides of l Photo by American Press Association. I SCENE IN THE CITY OP PANAMA. the Isthmus. On Nov. 6 the United States announced virtual recognition of the new republic, and Minister Beaupre at Bogota was Instructed to Inform the Colombian government that tho United States was prepared to recognize rec-ognize Panama as a nation and to recommend rec-ommend that tho questions at Issue between the two countries bo peaceably peace-ably and equitably settled. Of course Colombia did not take quietly to tho alienation of Panama, one of tho richest sections of her territory ter-ritory and of transcendent importance in view of tho impending construction of the canal. It was charged openly that tho United States had fomented tho revolution in Panama In order to facilitate the building of the canaL Colombia was pictured to tho world as a victim of robbery, and suggestions have been made that some or all of Panama's territory should bo returned to Colombia, On the other hand, It was maintained that tho revolution was tho act of tho Panamans, actuated by a desire to "go It alone" In the family world. Somo of the questions arising from the matter aro not settled yet. When the smoke cleared away the United States paid to Panama $10.-000.000 $10.-000.000 for the right to construct the canal, with Jurisdiction over the canal zone. Of this amount the republic of Panama Invested ?G. 000 000 In New York real estate yielding about 4 per cent, spent $1,000,000 for a national theater and a government building and invested the remainder in Internal Improvements, Im-provements, such as highways, wharfs, telegraph lines and schools. Education Is advancing rapidly In Panama, there is no national debt, and the outlook for tho prosperity of tho little country Is decidedly bright. ARTHUR J. BRINTON. |