Panama Kanalen I 1912

123 purposes, so far as the use of said rivers, streams, lakes and bo- dies of water and the waters thereof may be necessary and con- venient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said Canal. Article V. The Republic of Panama grants to the United States in per- petuity a monopoly for the construction, maintenance and opera- tion of any system of communication by means of canal or rail- road across its territory between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Article VI. The grants herein contained shall in no manner invalidate the titles or rights of private land holders or owners of private pro- perty in the said zone or in or to any of the lands or waters gran- ted to the United States by the provisions of any Article of this treaty, nor shall they interfere with the rights of way over the public roads passing through the said zone or over any of the said lands or waters unless said rights of way or private rights shall conflict with rights herein granted to the United States in which case the rights of the United States shall be superior. All damages caused to the owners of private lands or private property of any kind by reason of the grants contained in this treaty or by reason of the operations of the United States, its agents or em- ployees, or by reason of the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said Canal or of the works of sa- nitation and protection herein provided for, shall be appraised and settled by a joint Commission appointed by the Governments of the United States and the Republic of Panama, whose decisions as to such damages shall be final and whose awards as to such damages shall be paid solely by the United States. No part of the work on said Canal or the Panama Railroad or on any auxiliary works relating thereto and authorized by the terms of this treaty shall be prevented, delayed or impeded by or pending such pro- ceedings to ascertain such damages. The appraisal of said private lands and private property and the assessment of damages to them shall be based upon their value before the date of this convention. C. P. O. Moltke: Panama-Canalen i 1912 9