The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-30
Ghe Wessenger.
Hntsred at the Postofhce 1T Whining
ton. n. c.. a. Second Class
Matter. April 13. 1878.
THE UNITED STATES AS A WORLD
POWER.

affairs in the South American states.
In Colombia she took entire control Of
the trans-isthmian railroad, put troops
on the train and ordered about insur-
gent as well as government troops.
This was under the guarantee to keep
open h road for inter-oceanic traffic.
The Colombian government could n o
object TO this, but when it came to dis
arming government troops in transit
from one terminus of the Dad to the
other before allowing them to embark
on the train, Colombia thought it going
too far under the treaty stipulatious
and registered a protest. The charter
of the company requires it to transport
all government soldiers. N~otwithstand-
ing this, our naval officer in command
at Colon, who seems to be managing
the affairs of the company now, required
all the soldiers to leave their arms, TO
be transported in a epara train as
freight, and to travel as ordinary pas
sengers under protection Of a guard Of
American soldiers. While this seems to
have given great offense to the Colon
bians, it must have been, in the judg-
ment of those of the American officers
on the spot and, therefore, best quail
fled to pass upon the requirements of
the situation, the best, if not the only,
means of preventing such action by the
insurgents to stop the transfer of troops
as would have blocked traffic over the
railroad. 1t was an extreme measure
and one calculated to engender hostili-
ty toward us on the part of the Colom-
bian government; but still, if there
was no other way to carry out our guar
antee this action was justifiable. New
ertheless, whether right or wrong it
draws US further into the internal af-
fairs of this state and makes our posi-
ton regarding the South and Central
American states more pronounced and
adds to our assumed responsibilities in
connection with them.
\ later incident connecting us closely
with the affairs of the section of the
American continent south OF us, or rath-
er one that has later come to light, is
the affair at Cuidad Bolivar in Venezue-
la. in which a Venezuelan warship in
order to deceive the revolutionists hoist |
ed the American flag while sailing up
the Oronoc river for the purpose of
attacking that city, which was in the
hands of the insurgents. The decep- |
ton was successful and the warship, !
without warning, opened fire upon the
town, causing loss of life and property |
in the quarter inhabited by citizens of
h United States and subjects of other
Tyl;- xrfnInffnn ~ II
International law was promptly report
ed to the Washington government by |
our minister to Venezuela. Minister |
Bowen also demanded an apology n
that the American flag should be salut-
ed by the warship which had used it for
this unlawful purpose. This was grant |
ed and the vessel raised the Stars and |
Stripes and gave it a national salute. |
This may or it may not close the Incl |
dent. If the former, it will leave with
the V~enezuelans a feeling of hostility |
toward US on account of the humiliation
incident to being forced to make an
apology and salute the flag as an ac-
acknowledgement of having done violence
to it. On the other hand, this may not
close the incident. There was a bonn
bardment of a town in violation of in
ternational law, resulting in he loss of
life of subjects of other nations and the
destruction of their property. This !
was lone under cover of the flag of a /
neutral nation. Those governments
whose subjects suffered by this action
may not be willing to drop the matter
here, and while they cannot hold the
United states responsible in the least
for the wrong done undo her flag, they |
may AXE such steps in the way of re-
prisaI and punishment as will necessi-
tate the interference of our government
in behalf of the people who used our
flag in violation of the usages of civil !
lied warfare and of international law.
Every event that occurs in the South
American states seems to draw us
further and further into ENHANCEMENT
in their affairs. Our government is fast
coming out of her former state of seclu-
sion and becoming n of h great
powers of the world. We have so far
avoided any ~'entangling alliances with I
the other powers, but we have managed
in the last few years to entangle our
selves in the affairs OF other nations
without forming any
The Roumanian question which Secre-
tary Hay has just raised seems to nave
startled Europe more than anything We
have yet n This is the first time
We have taken action in European af-
fairs. and while England approves of
u course, it has startled some others
of the European powers, who do not ap-
prove of such conduct on the part of
the heretofore seclusive American re
public which for nearly a hundred years
has said to Europe: You keep your
hands off of affairs on this side of the
Atlantic and we will not interfere with
you.' but which now, while still insist
ing on the first part of that proposition,
claims the right of a voice in the inter-
-