The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-10
COMMANDMENT OF
PORT Of RIO HACHA
Firing by Colombian Rebels and
Not VenezuelanS,
THINK CITY HAS FALLEN
INSURGENTS ARE CONFIDENT
THAT THEY WILL WIN.
THINK CITY HAS FALLEN

New York, Sept 9.-The statement
given out by the Colombian minister at
washington that a Venezuelan fleet
was bombarding the port of Rio Hacha
is denied by DR.. A J. Restrepo, dipio-
matte representative of the Colombian
insurgents here. He says that the at
tack was made by the revolutionary
fleet. Local Ievolutionists had expected
the news of the engagement for the
last week and were jubilant yesterday,
because they felt little doubt about
the port being already in their posses
sion.
DR.. Restrepo said the capture of the
Rio Hacha was of the utmost impOr-
lance to the rebels, because this would
place the entire Atlantic coast, includ-
ing Barranquilla and Santa Marta, at
their mercy and bring about an early
victory for their arms. He added that
he was sanguine the battle had been
fought and that it had resulted in a
defeat for the government, which is
Withholding the news
DR.. Ricardo Recerra, who cabled the
Colombian legation at Washington
from Curacao that the Venezuelan
navy was bonn harding the territory of
her neighbor. was exiled about a year
ago by President Castro. He was the
minister of Colombia here during the
insurrection of 1885, and secured the
armed Intervention of the United
States.
Rauol Perez, secretary Of the Colom-
bian revolutionary diplomatic agency
in this city, when asked If a Venezue-
Ian fleet bombarded Rio Hacha, said:
Venezuelans Not in Colombia.
1.-THE Venezuelans are not fighting in
Colombia The only fighting at pres
ent going on in South America is be-
tween the Colombian liberals and the
Colombian clericals. The liberals. or
revolutionists, whose land and sea
forces have, we think, captured the
town of Rio Hacha, include four ffths
of the Colombian nation. This vast
majority of the countryfS population is
fighting 5000 Filipino friars who have
come to our shores and many Italians
OF the Philippine islands and other Eu-
ropeans allied against US.
president Castro is struggling for
our liberty and not for his own pres
tige and advantage. This fact should
always be kept in mind. This is no
war of conquest. Venezuela has moth
ing to do with il. Several hundreds OF
thousands of our countrymen who have
been compelled to flee to Venezuela are
helping US, but they are Colombians
and not Venezuelans. The cable be-
tween Curacao and Maracaibo is
broken and so we have no positive in
formation of the last battle, but with
! only 1900 clerical troops against ouI
! army we are almost positive that we
are now in possession of the entire
/ northern coast of Colombia
There viii be no invasions from
! Venezuela, Ecuador or Nicaragua
/ There will be no attack made on tbs
Isthmus. Rio Hacha is 900 miles from
/ Panama, which proves that the pub
: lished account of an attack to be made
on the IsthmuS is cut out of whole
cloth. Our two armies of 1000 men
commanded by Generals Comacho and
Main. now occupy the very heart o.
Colombia. There is no peace there
the very center of our country In two
months / predict we shall conquer. an6
( a man whom all Colombia respects and
/ loves viii be at the head of the govern
I nent"