The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20
HAY-BEAUPRE CABLEGRANIs.
President Sends to the House Further
Panama Correspondence.

Il SCIuS ~ lAlC I1OuSo
Panama Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19-President
Roosevelt to-day transmitted to the
House the third installment of papers
relating to the recent revolution on the
isthmus Of Panama. The papers com
prise the correspondence between the
State Department and Minister Beau
pre- of Bogota relative to the Hay
Herran treaty, consisting of 12O letters
and kilograms sent between March Is
and November 10. 1908.
On April Secretary Hay telegraphed
Beaupre to notify Colombia that the
matter of the requests Of Colombia to
the canal and railroad companies for
appointments of agents to negotiate
cancellation Of the present concessions
was covered by treaty, land any
change would be in violation of the
Spooner law and not permissible"
On April 10 Beaupre reviewed at
length the feeling in Colombia toward
the treaty. On its negotiations he
says:
4 am convinced the public had never
expected better terms"
In a later communication on the
subject of adverse public opinion to-
ward the treaty Mr.. BeauDre said:
1T is utterly impossible to convince
these people that the Nicaragua route
was ever seriously considered by the
United States: that the negotiations
concerning it had any other motive
than the squeezing of an advantageous
bargain out of Colombia or that any
other than the Panama route ever will
be selected"
The public discussion, he says, was
largely along the line of the loss Of
national honor by the surrender Of SOW
ereignty, while private discussion was
to the effect that the price was made
quate.
On June Hay sent to Mr.. Beaupre
this telegram:
The Colombian Government appar-
emily does not appreciate the gravity
of the situation. The canal negotia-
tions were initiated by Colombia and
were energetically pressed on this Gov
ernment for several years. The propo-
sitions presented by Colombia, with
slight notifications. were finally ac-
cepted by us. In view of this agree
ment, our Congress reversed its pre-
vious judgment and decided upon the
Panama route. If Colombia should
now reject the treaty or unduly delay
its ratification the friendly understand
ing between the two countries would
be so seriously compromised that ac-
ton might be taken by the Congress
next winter which every friend of CO.
lombia would regret"
On July s. Mr.. Beaupre sent the fol-
lowing confidential telegram to Secre-
tary Hay
Have received information privately
that a paraphrase of your cipher tele-
gram on June . was received in the
Senate secret session. Created sensa-
ton. Construed by many as threat Of
direct retaliation against Colombia in
case treaty is not ratified. This and the
statement Of just arrived members of
Congress from Panama that this de-
partment would revolt II the treaty is
not ratified caused alarm, and the ef-
feet is favorable"
Under date of September 10 Beaupre
cabled the following:
Fierce attack to-day IN the Senate
upon the appointment of Obaldia as
Governor of Panama The appointment
is regarded as being the forerunner or
separation. OF several Senators who
spoke only the son Of the President de-
Tended the action of the Government.
A resolution passed by almost unanim-
Gus vote which is equivalent to vote
Of censure against the Government.
In a letter which followed this cable
message Beaupre commented on the
"separatist' tendencies of the newly
appointed Governor Of Panama, which
he said were we'll known.
He is reported to have said, the
letter continues, that should the canal
treaty not pass the department Of Pan
anna would declare its independence.
and would be right in doing so. That
these are his opinions there is, of
course, no doubt"
Under date of October 21 Beaupre
communicated a positive feeling OF
alarm in Bogota over the possible ac-
ton of the United States should the
feeling in Panama find expression in
overt acts. This alarm, he said, was
voiced in the Senate on the day pre-
vious. On October % Secretary Hay
cabled Beaupre:
"If you find disposition on the part of
Colombia to ask terms more favorable
to Colombia than those heretofore ne
gotiated you may intimate orally. but
not in writing, that it will be useless
to send a special envoy"
The final adjournment Of the Colom-