TO "WARD OFF EUROPE."

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 78, 1 April 1912, Page 7

TO "WARD OFF EUROPE."

UNCLE SAM AND THE CANAL. SECRETARY KNOX'S TRIP. rjfBOM OVA OWN COBBESPONDENT.] SAN FRANCISCO, 6th Mairch. Secretary of State Knox is now making an official trip to the capitals ot Central America, northern South America, and the West Indies, to which a large significance is attached. Thu approaching completion of the Panama Canal is admittedly tho animating cauwi of this tour \>f tho countries bordering on the Caribbean Sea. Ostensibly, the Secretary of State ie endeavouring to bring about closer mutual relations between the Republics of Latin America, as well as between those Republics and the United States. But there is another purpose, and this," as one newspaper headline has it, is " to ward off Europe." If such a thing Is possible, intensified adherence to the Monroe doctrino of America for the Americana will be a result of the construction of the canal. Any attempt on the^ part of a European nation to increase its influence in any country in the vicinity of the canal will be looked upon with jealousy, and keenly resented. Secretary Knox'a own words are being cited as snowing his recognition of the possibility of European, interference. In a recent speech before the New York Bar Association, he urged the immediate adoption by the United States of loan conventions with Nicaragua and Honduras because "of the ever-increa6ing* political reason of avoiding the dlanger of European entanglement in the affairs of the countries surrounding the Carib-' bean." He also said: "Th© logic, of political geography and of strategy, dnd now our tremendous interest created by the Panama Canal, make the saiety, the peace, and the prosperity of Central America and the zone of the Caribbean of paramount interest to the United States." So tba visit of the secretary is gonerally regarded as another indication that the United States wishes to manage tho canal without any assistance or suggestions from outside sources, and, particularly, that Europe should be "warded) off." A rather disconcerting incident hapEened before Mr. Knox left Washington, enor Ospina, Minister to the United States from Colombia, addressed a letter to the State Department efcating that a visit from the Secretary of State to Colombia "may happen to be considered as inopportune at the present time." Colombia is the Central America Republic that formerly included within its 'borders the territory through -which the Panama Canal is being cut. When the United States found it impossible to negotiate with the Government- of Colombia a revolution broke out, and the new Republic of Panama was formed. The new Republic was recognised by the United States and protected against Colombia. This was the explanation of Ospina's letter; and he based his statement about the inopportunoness of the visit upon the fact that the United; Slates hae never consented to the arbitration of Colombia's claims in connection with Panama. However, Colombia repudiated the action of its representative at Washington, recalled him, and sent a cordial invitation to Mr. Knox to call at Bogota s , the capital of Colombia.