This difficulty might be overcome by diplomacy and money." President Roosevelt at this point took the negotiations into his own hands.

Knowing that the price offered was more than just, he decided to depend no longer on bartering.

He ordered the American minister to leave Colombia, and he prepared a message to Congress proposing that the Americans proceed to dig the canal under authority which he claimed to find in the Treaty of 1846.

It was, however, doubtful if Congress would find it there, particularly as so many Congressmen preferred the Nicaragua route.

The President therefore listened with pleased attention to the rumors of a revolution planned to separate Panama from Colombia.
Most picturesquely this information was brought by M.Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a former engineer of the De Lesseps company, who glowed with the excitement of coming events.