Mybeliefthenwas，andtheeventsthathaveoccurredsincehavemorethanjustifiedit，thatfromthestandpointoftheUnitedStatesitwasimperative，notonlyforcivilbutformilitaryreasons，thatthereshouldbetheimmediateestablishmentofeasyandspeedycommunicationbyseabetweentheAtlanticandthePacific。Thesereasonswerenotofconvenienceonly，butofvitalnecessity，anddidnotadmitofindefinitedelay。TheactionofColombiahadshownnotonlythatthedelaywouldbeindefinite，butthatsheintendedtoconfiscatethepropertyandrightsoftheFrenchPanamaCanalCompany。
ThereportofthePanamaCanalCommitteeoftheColombianSenateonOctober14，1903，ontheproposedtreatywiththeUnitedStates，proposedthatallconsiderationofthemattershouldbepostponeduntilOctober31，1904，whenthenextColombianCongresswouldhaveconvened，becausebythattimethenewCongresswouldbeinconditiontodeterminewhetherthroughlapseoftimetheFrenchcompanyhadnotforfeiteditspropertyandrights。“Whenthattimearrives。”thereportsignificantlydeclared，“theRepublic，withoutanyimpediment，willbeabletocontractandwillbeinmoreclear，moredefiniteandmoreadvantageouspossession，bothlegallyandmaterially。”ThenakedmeaningofthiswasthatColombiaproposedtowaitayear，andthenenforceaforfeitureoftherightsandpropertyoftheFrenchPanamaCompany，soastosecurethefortymilliondollarsourGovernmenthadauthorizedaspaymenttothiscompany。Ifwehadsatsupine，thiswoulddoubtlesshavemeantthatFrancewouldhaveinterferedtoprotectthecompany，andweshouldthenhavehadontheIsthmus，notthecompany，butFrance；andthegravestinternationalcomplicationsmighthaveensued。Everyconsiderationofinternationalmoralityandexpediency，ofdutytothePanamapeople，andofsatisfactionofourownnationalinterestsandhonor，badeustakeimmediateaction。I
recognizedPanamaforthwithonbehalfoftheUnitedStates，andpracticallyallthecountriesoftheworldimmediatelyfollowedsuit。
TheStateDepartmentimmediatelynegotiatedacanaltreatywiththenewRepublic。OneoftheforemostmeninsecuringtheindependenceofPanama，andthetreatywhichauthorizedtheUnitedStatesforthwithtobuildthecanal，wasM。PhilippeBunau-Varilla，aneminentFrenchengineerformerlyassociatedwithDeLessepsandthenlivingontheIsthmus；hisservicestocivilizationwerenotable，anddeservethefullestrecognition。
Fromthebeginningtotheendourcoursewasstraightforwardandinabsoluteaccordwiththehighestofstandardsofinternationalmorality。Criticismofitcancomeonlyfrommisinformation，orelsefromasentimentalitywhichrepresentsbothmentalweaknessandamoraltwist。TohaveactedotherwisethanIdidwouldhavebeenonmypartbetrayaloftheinterestsoftheUnitedStates，indifferencetotheinterestsofPanama，andrecreancytotheinterestsoftheworldatlarge。Colombiahadforfeitedeveryclaimtoconsideration；indeed，thisisnotstatingthecasestronglyenough：shehadsoactedthatyieldingtoherwouldhavemeantonourpartthatculpableformofweaknesswhichstandsonalevelwithwickedness。Asformepersonally，ifIhadhesitatedtoact，andhadnotinadvancediscountedtheclamorofthoseAmericanswhohavemadeafetishofdisloyaltytotheircountry，IshouldhaveesteemedmyselfasdeservingaplaceinDante’sinfernobesidethefaint-heartedclericwhowasguiltyof“ilgranrifiuto。”ThefactsIhavegivenabovearemerebaldstatementsfromtherecord。Theyshowthatfromthebeginningtherehadbeenacceptanceofourrighttoinsistonfreetransit，inwhateverformwasbest，acrosstheIsthmus；andthattowardstheendtherehadbeenanolessuniversalfeelingthatitwasourdutytotheworldtoprovidethistransitintheshapeofacanal——theresolutionofthePan-AmericanCongresswaspracticallyamandatetothiseffect。Colombiawasthenunderaone-mangovernment，adictatorship，foundedonusurpationofabsoluteandirresponsiblepower。Sheeagerlypressedustoenterintoanagreementwithher，aslongastherewasanychanceofourgoingtothealternativeroutethroughNicaragua。Whenshethoughtwewerecommitted，sherefusedtofulfiltheagreement，withtheavowedhopeofseizingtheFrenchcompany’spropertyfornothingandtherebyholdingusup。Thiswasabitofpurebanditmorality。ItwouldhaveachieveditspurposehadI
possessedasweakmoralfiberasthoseofmycriticswhoannouncedthatIoughttohaveconfinedmyactiontofeeblescoldingandtemporizinguntiltheopportunityforactionpassed。Ididnotliftmyfingertoincitetherevolutionists。Therightsimiletouseistotallydifferent。Isimplyceasedtostampoutthedifferentrevolutionaryfusesthatwerealreadyburning。WhenColombiacommittedflagrantwrongagainstus，Iconsidereditnopartofmydutytoaidandabetherinherwrongdoingatourexpense，andalsoattheexpenseofPanama，oftheFrenchcompany，andoftheworldgenerally。TherehadbeenfiftyyearsofcontinuousbloodshedandcivilstrifeinPanama；becauseofmyactionPanamahasnowknowntenyearsofsuchpeaceandprosperityassheneverbeforesawduringthefourcenturiesofherexistence——forinPanama，asinCubaandSantoDomingo，itwastheactionoftheAmericanpeople，againsttheoutcriesoftheprofessedapostlesofpeace，whichalonebroughtpeace。WegavetothepeopleofPanamaself-government，andfreedthemfromsubjectiontoalienoppressors。WedidourbesttogetColombiatoletustreatherwithamorethangenerousjustice；weexercisedpatiencetobeyondthevergeofproperforbearance。WhenwedidactandrecognizePanama，Colombiaatonceacknowledgedherownguiltbypromptlyofferingtodowhatwehaddemanded，andwhatshehadprotesteditwasnotinherpowertodo。Buttheoffercametoolate。Whatwewouldgladlyhavedonebefore，ithadbythattimebecomeimpossibleforushonorablytodo；foritwouldhavenecessitatedourabandoningthepeopleofPanama，ourfriends，andturningthemovertotheirandourfoes，whowouldhavewreakedvengeanceonthempreciselybecausetheyhadshownfriendshiptous。Colombiawassolelyresponsibleforherownhumiliation；andshehadnotthen，andhasnotnow，oneshadowofclaimuponus，moralorlegal；allthewrongthatwasdonewasdonebyher。If，asrepresentingtheAmericanpeople，IhadnotactedpreciselyasIdid，Iwouldhavebeenanunfaithfulorincompetentrepresentative；andinactionatthatcrisiswouldhavemeantnotonlyindefinitedelayinbuildingthecanal，butalsopracticaladmissiononourpartthatwewerenotfittoplaythepartontheIsthmuswhichwehadarrogatedtoourselves。IactedonmyownresponsibilityinthePanamamatter。JohnHayspokeofthisactionasfollows：“TheactionofthePresidentinthePanamamatterisnotonlyinthestrictestaccordancewiththeprinciplesofjusticeandequity，andinlinewithallthebestprecedentsofourpublicpolicy，butitwastheonlycoursehecouldhavetakenincompliancewithourtreatyrightsandobligations。”
Ideeplyregretted，andnowdeeplyregret，thefactthattheColombianGovernmentrendereditimperativeformetotaketheactionItook；
butIhadnoalternative，consistentwiththefullperformanceofmydutytomyownpeople，andtothenationsofmankind。For，beitremembered，thatcertainothernations，Chileforexample，willprobablybenefitevenmorebyouractionthanwilltheUnitedStatesitself。IamwellawarethattheColombianpeoplehavemanyfinetraits；thatthereisamongthemacircleofhigh-bredmenandwomenwhichwouldreflecthonoronthesociallifeofanycountry；andthattherehasbeenanintellectualandliterarydevelopmentwithinthissmallcirclewhichpartiallyatonesforthestagnationandilliteracyofthemassofthepeople；andIalsoknowthateventheilliteratemasspossessesmanysterlingqualities。ButunfortunatelyininternationalmatterseverynationmustbejudgedbytheactionofitsGovernment。ThegoodpeopleinColombiaapparentlymadenoeffort，certainlynosuccessfuleffort，tocausetheGovernmenttoactwithreasonablegoodfaithtowardstheUnitedStates；andColombiahadtotaketheconsequences。IfBrazil，ortheArgentine，orChile，hadbeeninpossessionoftheIsthmus，doubtlessthecanalwouldhavebeenbuiltunderthegovernmentalcontrolofthenationthuscontrollingtheIsthmus，withtheheartyacquiescenceoftheUnitedStatesandofallotherpowers。ButintheactualfactthecanalwouldnothavebeenbuiltatallsavefortheactionItook。Ifmenchoosetosaythatitwouldhavebeenbetternottobuildit，thantobuilditastheresultofsuchaction，theirposition，althoughfoolish，iscompatiblewithbeliefintheirwrongheadedsincerity。Butitishypocrisy，alikeodiousandcontemptible，foranymantosayboththatweoughttohavebuiltthecanalandthatweoughtnottohaveactedinthewaywedidact。
Afterasufficientperiodofwrangling，theSenateratifiedthetreatywithPanama，andworkonthecanalwasbegun。Thefirstthingthatwasnecessarywastodecidethetypeofcanal。Isummonedaboardofengineeringexperts，foreignandnative。Theydividedontheirreport。
Themajorityofthemembers，includingalltheforeignmembers，approvedasea-levelcanal。Theminority，includingmostoftheAmericanmembers，approvedalockcanal。Studyingtheseconclusions，I
cametothebeliefthattheminoritywasright。ThetwogreattrafficcanalsoftheworldweretheSuezandtheSoo。TheSuezCanalisasea-levelcanal，anditwastheonebestknowntoEuropeanengineers。
TheSooCanal，throughwhichanevengreatervolumeoftrafficpasseseveryyear，isalockcanal，andtheAmericanengineerswerethoroughlyfamiliarwithit；whereas，inmyjudgment，theEuropeanengineershadfailedtopayproperheedtothelessonstaughtbyitsoperationandmanagement。Moreover，theengineerswhoweretodotheworkatPanamaallfavoredalockcanal。Icametotheconclusionthatasea-levelcanalwouldbeslightlylessexposedtodamageintheeventofwar；thattherunningexpenses，apartfromtheheavycostofinterestontheamountnecessarytobuildit，wouldbeless；andthatforsmallshipsthetimeoftransitwouldbeless。ButIalsocametotheconclusionthatthelockcanalattheproposedlevelwouldcostonlyabouthalfasmuchtobuildandwouldbebuiltinhalfthetime，withmuchlessrisk；thatforlargeshipsthetransitwouldbequicker，andthat，takingintoaccounttheinterestsaved，thecostofmaintenancewouldbeless。AccordinglyIrecommendedtoCongress，onFebruary19，1906，thatalockcanalshouldbebuilt，andmyrecommendationwasadopted。Congressinsisteduponhavingitbuiltbyacommissionofseveralmen。Itriedfaithfullytogetgoodworkoutofthecommission，andfounditquiteimpossible；foramany-headedcommissionisanextremelypoorexecutiveinstrument。AtlastIputColonelGoethalsinasheadofthecommission。Then，whenCongressstillrefusedtomakethecommissionsingle-headed，IsolvedthedifficultybyanexecutiveorderofJanuary6，1908，whichpracticallyaccomplishedtheobjectbyenlargingthepowersofthechairman，makingalltheothermembersofthecommissiondependentuponhim，andtherebyplacingtheworkunderone-mancontrol。Dr。GorgashadalreadyperformedaninestimableservicebycaringforthesanitaryconditionssothoroughlyastomaketheIsthmusassafeasahealthresort。
ColonelGoethalsprovedtobethemanofallotherstodothejob。Itwouldbeimpossibletooverstatewhathehasdone。ItisthegreatesttaskofanykindthatanymanintheworldhasaccomplishedduringtheyearsthatColonelGoethalshasbeenatwork。Itisthegreatesttaskofitsownkindthathaseverbeenperformedintheworldatall。
ColonelGoethalshassucceededininstillingintothemenunderhimaspiritwhichelsewherehasbeenfoundonlyinafewvictoriousarmies。
Itisproperandappropriatethat，likethesoldiersofsucharmies，theyshouldreceivemedalswhichareallottedeachmanwhohasservedforasufficientlengthoftime。AfinerbodyofmenhasneverbeengatheredbyanynationthanthemenwhohavedonetheworkofbuildingthePanamaCanal；theconditionsunderwhichtheyhavelivedandhavedonetheirworkhavebeenbetterthaninanysimilarworkeverundertakeninthetropics；theyhaveallfeltaneagerprideintheirwork；andtheyhavemadenotonlyAmericabutthewholeworldtheirdebtorsbywhattheyhaveaccomplished。
TheroughdraftofthemessageIhadproposedtosendCongressranasfollows：
“TheColombianGovernment，throughitsrepresentativehere，anddirectlyincommunicationwithourrepresentativeatColombia，hasrefusedtocometoanyagreementwithus，andhasdelayedactionsoastomakeitevidentthatitintendstomakeextortionateandimpropertermswithus。TheIsthmianCanalbillwas，ofcourse，passedupontheassumptionthatwhateverroutewasused，thebenefittotheparticularsectionoftheIsthmusthroughwhichitpassedwouldbesogreatthatthecountrycontrollingthispartwouldbeeagertofacilitatethebuildingofthecanal。Itisoutofthequestiontosubmittoextortiononthepartofabeneficiaryofthescheme。Allthelabor，alltheexpense，alltheriskaretobeassumedbyusandalltheskillshownbyus。Thosecontrollingthegroundthroughwhichthecanalistobeputarewhollyincapableofbuildingit。