The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-08
COLOMBIA NOT OPPOSED.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT NTREGARDING
 PANAMA CANAL SALE.

Power to Facilitate the NIattcr-Oniy n
 Mutually Satisfactory Convention
 Necessary.
 New York, March 7.-Dan Jose Ni- cente Concha. minister plenipotentiary to the United States from Colombia, who arrived in this city a few days ago from Bogota, has addressed an of- ficial communication to William Nel- son Cromwell, the general counsel of the new Panama Canal company, on the subject of the attitude of Columbia with regard to the construction of the Panama canal The communication follows:
 "Confirming the conferences which we have held upon the subject of the relations between the republic of Co., lombia. the United States of America and the new Panama Canal company, beg leave to state in answer to your specific enquiries that the cable com munication made to the Panama Canal company by my government on the 18th utimo was purely formal and as a reminder of well known conditions and was not declaratory of opposition to the proposed transaction between the canal company and the United States if made under the reserve of an agreement between Colombia and the United States. That incident has been so distorted by the enemies of the Pan anna Canal route that I take pleasure in confirming my assurances to you that the government of Co., lumbia does not at all object to the sale and transfer as proposed by the canal company to the United States but on the contrary my government ap proves sf the steps taken by the canal company and will give all requisite consents and do all in it's power to ia cilitate the matter under the reserve re ferred to. Colombia welcomes the con- struction of the Panama canal within it's domains by the United States and entertains for this government and it's people the warmest spirit of cordiality in the completion of this, the greatest enterprise of modern times, destined to have a most beneficent and material in 1ueYce in the development of the inter- ests of both nations.
 '"This concurrence of Colombia in any sale by the new Panama Canal com pany to the government of the United States, is with the reservation, of course, that a mutually satisfactory convention shall be agreed upon by Co lunbia and the United States as to their respective rights and relations to the Panama canal to be constructed by the United States and we have not the least doubt that such agreement will be reached.
 Animated by this spirit and govern ed by these views, ] have been empoW- cred by my government to proceed with the pending negotiations with this gov ernment; and as I bring the most re- cent instructions and views of my gov ernmert | am happy to give assurance of our sincere desire to conclude such negotiations promptly and upon req sonable basis. I am now developing and very soon shall definitely submit to this government the views and propos- als of Colombia upon the subject with the design of encouraging a speedy and full consummation of the purchase, by the government of the United States, of all the rights, concessions and proper ties of the new Panam9 Canal Compa- nv. and as far as permitted, to trans fer to foreign government by the laws of Colombia and the establishment be- of definite and satisfactory conven- ton upon an equitable and satisfactory basis"