President Roosevelt Decides to Build the Panama Canal

VOICE TWO:

Engineers said it would cost less to complete a canal that had been started in the eighteen eighties in Panama. But the United States would have to buy the land and building rights from a French company. The price was high: more than one hundred million dollars.

VOICE ONE:

President Roosevelt was pleased. He gave his support to the Panama plan. When the Senate began debate, however, it appeared the Nicaragua plan would win.

That little stamp weakened support for the Nicaragua canal. The Senate passed a bill for a Panama canal, instead. The House of Representatives changed its earlier decision. It approved the Senate bill.

At that time, Panama was a state of Colombia. Canal negotiations between America and Colombia did not go smoothly. After nine months, the United States threatened to end the talks and begin negotiations with Nicaragua. The threat worked.

The United States Senate passed the treaty within two months. The Colombian Senate rejected it. The Colombian government demanded more money.

President Roosevelt was furious. He saw the issue in terms of world politics...not simply Colombia's sovereignty.  He said: "I do not think Colombia should be permitted to bar permanently one of the future highways of civilization."  Roosevelt was ready to take over Panama to build the canal.

Under an old treaty, Colombia had given the United States the right to prevent interference with travel across Panama. Now, the United States used the old treaty to prevent interference from Colombian troops. Several American warships were sent to Panama.

The local leader of the Panamanian revolt was Manuel Amador. Amador had the support of the French company that still owned the rights to build the Panama Canal. The chief representative of the company was Philippe Bunau-Varilla. He worked closely with an American lawyer, William Cromwell.

Amador formed a small army of railroad workers and fire fighters.

The soldiers could not get to Panama City, however. All but one railroad car had been moved to the capital.

Manuel Amador gave a signal. The revolution began. There was a little shooting, but no one was hurt. Most of the shots were fired into the air to celebrate the call for Panama's independence. Colombian officials were arrested quickly. Then Amador made a speech. He said:

Colombia asked the United States to help it re-gain control of Panama. The United States refused. It said it would oppose any attempt by Colombia to send more forces there. The United States also recognized Panama's independence. And, almost immediately, it started negotiations with the new government on a canal treaty.

The two sides reached agreement quickly. The treaty was almost the same as the one the Colombian Senate had rejected earlier. This time, however, the canal zone would be sixteen kilometers wide, instead of ten. And the United States would get permanent control of the canal zone.

VOICE ONE:

Theodore Roosevelt did not care. He was proud of his success in getting the canal started. He said: "I took the canal zone and let Congress debate. And while the debate goes on...so does work on the canal."

It took ten years for the United States to complete the Panama Canal. The first ship passed through it in August, nineteen fourteen.

After Roosevelt's death, the United States signed another agreement with Colombia. The new agreement included the payment of twenty-five million dollars. It did not include the statement of regret. The Senate approved the new agreement.

The issue of America's involvement in Panama caused much bitterness in other countries of Latin America. Some did not feel safe from American interference. President Roosevelt said the United States would not interfere with any nation that kept order and paid what it owed.

Roosevelt said the United States was responsible for making sure the debts were paid. His policy led to further United States involvement in Latin America.

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You have been listening to THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by the Voice of America. Your narrators were Maurice Joyce and Richard Rael. Our program was written by Frank Beardsley.