The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-03
IN A STATE OF SIEGE
ARMY SURROUND TOWN OF
BOCAS DEL TORO
MANY HOIST FOREIGN FLAGS
Government Officials Interfere With
Foreign Commerce, and GunbOat
Machias May Be Ordered
From Colon.

COLON, Colombia, Aug. 31.-Delayed
three days by the CENSOR .-BocaS del
Toro, 40 miles west of Colon, is virtually
besieged by the Liberals or insurgents.
They number at least 200, and, as already
cabled, lo0cupy Provision Island, which
is opposite the town and commands the
entrance to the harbor They are fairly
well armed possessing two small modern
cannon, as well as plenty of ammuni.
ton, and are commanded by a Mic
araguan. Among them are many Mic
araguan and Costa Rican Liberals.
For more than a month the LiHsrals
have been threatening the town. About
a fortnight ago they improved their po-
sition on Provision Island, about mile
and a. half from Bocas del Toro, which
also is on an island; and the opposing
forces have occasionally exchanged shots,
although, with the exception of one
Jamaican wounded, there have been no
casualties.
Among the Liberals are several who own
property in Bocas del Toro. The Lib
erals express no desire or intention to
damage the town or to modest foreign
ers or foreign vessels. There is easy
communication by mail with the land
east and west of Bocas del Toro Cam
non, arms and ammunition are obtained
from coast towns in Costa Rica and
Nicaragua, Bocas del Toros being about
forty miles from the Costa Rican frontier.
The Liberal position is strong, and th5
situation is likely to remain as it is until
one side or the other makes an attack.
Such an action would subject the at
lacking party to the severe fire of their
opponents, as it would be necessary to
pass from BocaS del Toro to Provision
Island, or vice versa, in small open boats.
Neither side is inclined to take this risk
The Liberals profess to believe that a
proclamation of the present situation
would result in a withdrawal of the gov
eminent force from Bocas del Toro.
Counting reinforcements, the government
has about ITO men ther0and the town can
only be reached by very light draught
steamers through roundabout channels
UNDER MARTIAL LAW
Martial law prevails IN Bocas del Toro.
The authorities have stopped communi-
cation with other ports except Colon
They have stopped local fishing and for
hidden passage along the streets after
o'clock at night. Foreigners claim that the
measures adopted for harbor supervision
materially injure commerce. Two Ger
mans were sent to jail for expressing
their views too freely in a cafe, and it
needed the intervention of the German
consul to effect their release.
The United States, French, British and
German consular agents in Bocas del
Toro told the Colombian commander
tons interrupting commerce were not
abated, they would call for gunboats.
These representations resulted in a linn
tied improvement only in harbor condi-
tions.
The local trade, which has been chiefly
in bananas sent to the United States, is
virtually dead. Fruit steamers from Mo
bile and New Orleans are getting only
partial cargoes, the disturbed conditions
preventing work on the plantations. The
foreign element predominates in the
town-Americans, Germans, British and
Chinese in the order named. The United
Fruit Company of Boston owns many
banana plantations in the neighborhood.
The United States consular agent in
Bocas del Toro has made an urgent APP
peal to the United States consul in Colon
to send gunboat. Commander Sargent.
OF, the United States gunboat Machias, is
fully informed of the. situation, and if
this does not improve shortly the Machias
probably will proceed to Bocas del To-o.
The Liberals on Provision island say the
presence of the Machias will not alter the
situation, as they have in no way in
terfered with or Injured foreigners, and