The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-08
OVERT ACT OF WAR
COLOMBIAN COAST TOWN IS BEING
ROMBARDED BY A VENE-
ZUELAN FLEET
DETAILS ARE NOT oBTAINABLE
Colombia Is Also Threatened With
Military Invasions From Vene-
zueIa, Ecuador and
Nicaragua.

WASHINGTON, Sept. THE Colon
bian legation has just received the fol-
lowing cablegram:
wv. lemsta It, Curacao, Sept. 7.-Venez-
uelan fleet IS lombard ng Rio Aaccha-,
DR.. Becerra formerly was Colombian
minister in Washington.
RIO HACHA is an important town on
the north coast of Colombia.
TINS bombardment appears to be the
first open act of war. The Colombian
Il cation is in receipt of a dispatch from
the minister of foreign affairs at Bogota,
which says that new inVaStonS from Ven
ezIela, Ecuador and Nicaragua are an
nounCed. The. minister declares that Co
Iomb-a cont nueS to be pa-iic and strictly
ne,,tcal and that Colombia condemns the
rebel inYaS.on of GarOiras into Venezuela.
WILLEMSTADT, island of Curacao,
Sept. THE cable between Curacao and
Maracaibo is broken. This is the cause
of the absence of news from the Vene-
zuelan frontier which can only be OBJ
tanned by letter. Under date of Sept.
mail advices say that the Venezuelan
troops have not made another attempt
to invade Colombia.
President Castro absolutely refuses to
entertain the idea of accepting the good
offices of the United States.
CARACAS, sept. 1T is unUeTSLOOU
that the United States legation here win
make no further attempt to effect set
tlement of the Venezuelan trouble.
NEW YORK, Sept 7.-Senor Arturo de
Brigard, consul general of Colombia in
this city was advised from Paris today
that the Colombian government had just
purchased IS 600 Mauser rifles and 5 00O.-
600 cartridges. This is the largest pur-
n1,a ~ riaI Nv
American republic in several years and
has caused the impression that Colombia
is, the Tribune will say tomorrow, pre-
pairing for war with her enemies,
Venezuela and Ecuador Consul General
de Brigard explained that these mum,
lions are to be used against the rebels
in the interior of the country. The gov
eminent. he said, was determined to put
an early end to the insurrection.
WASHINGTON, Sept. THE navy de-
partment has ordered the gunboat Ma
chias, now at Colon, to Bocas del Toro,
to look after American interests in that
quarter, should it appear that any pro-
lection is needed there.
The battleship Iowa has arrived at
Panama. The gunboat Ranger, now at
Machias, has been ordered back to San
Francisco.
WASHINGTON, Sept. The Colom-
bian legation tonight received the fol-
lowing telegram from the acting gov
ernor of Panama:
We are expecting simultaneous at
tacks on Panama and Colon
1t is explained at the legation that it
Is feared the Ecuadoran expedition, aided
by Nicaraguans, viii attack Panama
while Venezuela assailss Colon.
The legation also received a diSna+o,
from the secretary of state at Bogota
saying that Colombia accepts the friendly
med-atfon Of the United States
WASHINGTON, Sept. DIR. Beccerra,
at present is at Willemstad, near the
scene OF operations, looking after the in
terest or his government. The bonn
bardment is regarded by the Colombian
authorities is an unmistakable and open
act or war. Rio Hacha is on the north
coast OF Colombia, a short distance from
the Venezuelan border, and is so located
as TO command the peninsula west of the
gulf Of Maraicabo. Sovereignty over the
peninsula has long been in question, but
the queen regent of Spain awarded II
to Colombia as a result of an arbitra tion
three years ago, and this has been ac-
cepted by both countries.
Inc information reaching the Colombian
legation shows that the Venezuelan fleet
expected to make a juncture at Rio
Hacha with considerable force of Co.
lombian rebels, but this force was dis
persed and the town was strongly garri-
soned by government troops When the
venezuelan ships arrived at the port
they 1alled to make the expected junct-
ure and instead found the Colombian
troops in possession. This, it is assert
ed has brought on the bombardment now
reported 1t Is said that the place is
chiefly important as base of operations
the important cities of Santa Marta and
Barranquilla being a short distance fur
Their west