Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-12-30
PUZZLE IN PANAMA.
ARE WE AT WAR OR AT PEACE
WITH COLOMBIAN
Administration officials Uncertain as
TO the Situation on Isthmus--soldiers
In Readiness-Incident Likely 20 Be-
come an Issus in Campaign.
Washington correspondence;

Washington correspondence;
Panama for several days has been the
a!l-absorbing topic at the White House,
at the State Department, at the War De-
partment, at the Navy Department aud
at the capitol. Questions Of greater
gravity have been confronted by the adj
ministration OF President Roosevelt
Problems involving our friendship with
Great Britain, Germany and Russia have
been solved happily, but none Of them,
after being in fair way of adjus ment.
have risen to threaten a war and to be-
come an issue in a national campaign as
this has done.
Have we been at war with olombia
ever since Nov. 8, when we recognized
the republic of Panama?
Or have we been at war since the
treaty was negotia'@?
Or have we beel az war only since the
landing of armed sailors by Commander
Turner Of the Atlanta at Titumati this
week?
Or are we at peace with Colombia and
only at~war with Senator Hoar and those
who oppose the President?
These inquiries are being addressed by
members of the administration to each
other and arrangements are being made
to present a defense, not only to the Co
lombians in the isthmus, but to the oppo-
nents of the President in the Senate.
There the fight on the Panama policy
was continued Friday by Senator Daniel
of Virginia, an orator of the old nd pol
ished school, and Senator MorG a, also
of the old school, introduced resolu-
ton which declared that we had been at
war without the sanction Of Congress
only since the negotiation Of the treaty
with Panama, in which we guaranteed
the sovereignty of the isthmus to the
revolutionists.
While the administration was being
fayed in Congress, the cabinet was hold
ing q meeting for the purpose of con-
sidering the situation and the State,
War and Navy officials were III constant
touch. News had come from the 18TH
mus which had caused uneasiness. but
it's character was not divulged. 1t be-
came known after the cabinet meeting
that the opinion had been expressed that
the commander of the Atlanta had prob
ably gone too far in effecting landing
on Colombian soil, even though it was
only for accommodating purposes.
Theoretically Not at War.
theoretically we are not at war with
Colombia, and we may have all the trou-
Bile we can attend to keeping out of
fight without deliberately trying to pro-
woke one The cables from Colon, which
show how near the American soldiers
were to clash, have given the admins
tration an idea that a Fashoda incident
may occur at any time. IL such a thing
-. 4 = 4 I, At Co.
as armed neutrality is concerned. An in
vasj : would be looked on as certain,
and booted and spurred military ex-
petition which is being held back, would
be cmbarking within forty-eight hours.
As it is, another battalion Of marines
will be dispatched to the isthmus within
few days, and Brig. Gen. Elliott viii
be sent to assume supreme command of
everything ashore, and the administration
is debating whether to keep its little
force of marines massed on the frontier
or to withdraw them to the canal strip
for the purpose of keeping transit open
under the treaty of 1916.
The frebrand OF Senator Hears
speech astonished the administration.
The effect Of the detection of ''the old
man eloquent" of the Senate and the
tiger-like quickness of Senator German
in taking advantage Of it and making
his attack on the President as danger
GUS man and second Napoleon has been
to drive the Democratic Senators togeth-
er more closely than party caucus ever
could have drawn them. Eleven Demo
cratic Senators. mostly from the South,
had announced their intention of voting
for the treaty. 1t is not at all certain
that so many of these Senators will now
hold our. If they do not, then the Demo
cratic caucus will pass resolution by
a two-t thirds vote and bind the party in
the Senate.
In a close party fight this is the dan
ger to the treaty. Party lines are to be
drawn. The Democrats believe they have
found an issue. The Republicans will
be forced to meet them, How success
full an issue it will be depends entirely
on the progress of events on the 18TH
mus, and events on the isthmus depend
in large measure on the progress of
events in Congress.
So there are two ends to the anti-ad-
ministration campaign-one in Colombia.
the other in congressional conference
rooms