The San Francisco call., 1901-12-02
Commander Of Colon
bian Troops Hopes to
Crush Liberals.
Declares He Can Keep Up
Free Transit Without
Aid Of Foreigners.
Bocas del Toro Believed to Have Been
Taken by the Insurgents, and a
British Warship Hastens
to That Port.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


COLON, Dec. 1.-The Call correspondent
obtained an interview with General Car
los Alban, Governor of the Department
of Panama and commander of the mill
tary and naval forces of the isthmus, re-
garding the situation. When General Alban
was asked if he could now maintain free
transit on the isthmus, he replied:
Colombia does not require foreign aid
to maintain free transit across the 18TH
mus. Within nine days we have recap
tured Colon and have killed or taken pris-
oners the troops which occupied that
fort"
Are you satisfied with the terms of the
treaty executed in Colon?" was asked.
Yes; the terms are the same as those
arranged in July of last year, when the
revolutionists surrendered at Panama. L
must say, however. that many Of those
same rebels have again taken up arms
against the Colombian Government.
do you consider the isthmian revolu-
ton entirely at an end?"
VIII Crush the Liberals.
Not yet" replied General Alban, en-
phatically. There are still several bands
of insurgents in the interior of the De-
partment of Panama. These bands will
soon be crushed.
lone of the revolutionary generals on
the isthmus-Domingo Diaz-has already
been defeated. We are now going to de-
feat the other insurgent general, Bells
carlo Parras, who capitulated last year.
''Diaz had a strong personal following.
So has Parras. This condition of af-
fairs clearly shows what the Colombian
nation has in prospect should Liberals
ever triumph. When the Liberal party
governed Colombia there were fifteen rev.
olutions in twenty years.
Bocas del Toro Taken.
News has reached Colon that commit
tee of insurgents several days ago de-
manded that Bocas del Toro should sur
render. 1t is now believed that Bocas del
Toro is in the hands of the revolutionists.
The British cruiser Tribune left port to-
day for Bocas del Toro to protect British
interests there. The Tribune will return
on Tuesday and will report the situation
at Bocas del Toro.
The engines of the Colombian warship
General Pinzon are now being cleaned, as
the engineer declared that he would not
be responsible for any accident. When
the British cruiser Tribune returns to this
port the General Pinzon will be ready to
proceed to Bocas del Toro, if it is neces-
sary.
The prefect of Colon and others who
have been imprisoned by the Liberals re-
turned to Colon this evening.
Colonel Barrera, who led the force of
insurgents in the field against General
Alban's troops, has been found in the
bushes in wounded condition. He will
receive his freedom and medical care in
Colon.
Troops Go to Interior.
The Government will send troops into
the interior of the department tomorrow
to operate against General Parras, whose
insurgent force General Alban is anxious
to crush
In an interview General Toliaco, COM
mander of the Colombian warship Gen
eral Pinzon, says the surrender of Colon
was burlesque. He declares that with
in twenty-four hours of the armistice the
Liberals secreted the best arms and left
worthless rifles. He says this is shown
by the nature of the wounds of the Gov
ernment soldiers.
Fourteen revolutionists boarded a train
for this port yesterday to surrender. They
were i'll and said they did not wish to con-
tinue the fight. Many of the bodies of dead
soldiers, found along the railroad have
been cremated.
The Government is confident that the re-
bellion on the isthmus will soon be
stamped out.