Panama Hay's involvement in the efforts to have a canal joining the oceans in Central America went back to his time as Assistant Secretary of State under President Hayes, when he served as translator for Ferdinand de Lesseps in his efforts to interest the American government in investing in his canal company. Hayes was only interested in the idea of a canal under American control, which de Lesseps's project would not be. By the time Hay became Secretary of State, de Lesseps's project in Panama (then a Colombian province) had collapsed, as had an American-run project in Nicaragua. The 1850 Clayton–Bulwer Treaty (between the United States and Britain) forbade the United States from building a Central American canal that it exclusively controlled, and Hay, from early in his tenure, sought the removal of this restriction. But the Canadians, for whose foreign policy Britain was still available, saw the canal matter as their greatest leverage to get other disputes resolved in their favor, persuaded Salisbury not to resolve it independently. Shortly before Hay took office, Britain and the U.S. agreed to establish a Joint High Commission to adjudicate unsettled matters, which met in late 1898 but made slow progress, especially on the Canada-Alaska boundary.
panama hay's involvement in the efforts to have a canal joining the oceans in central america went back to his time as assistant secretary of state under president hayes when he served as translator for ferdinand de lesseps in his efforts to interest the american government in investing in his canal company hayes was only interested in the idea of a canal under american control which de lesseps's project would not be by the time hay became secretary of state de lesseps's project in panama (then a colombian province) had collapsed as had an american-run project in nicaragua the 1850 clayton–bulwer treaty (between the united states and britain) forbade the united states from building a central american canal that it exclusively controlled and hay from early in his tenure sought the removal of this restriction but the canadians for whose foreign policy britain was still available saw the canal matter as their greatest leverage to get other disputes resolved in their favor persuaded salisbury not to resolve it independently shortly before hay took office britain and the us agreed to establish a joint high commission to adjudicate unsettled matters which met in late 1898 but made slow progress especially on the canada-alaska boundary