Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-09
WAR WITH COLOMBIA.

WAR WITH COLOMBIA.
| Senator Morgan Predicts That as the
Outcome of Canal Negotiations.
| Washington, d. c., Feb. War be-
tween the United States and Colombia
is the contingency which Senator Nor
| gan sees in the continuance of the
governments attitude in the isthmian
canal question. War. he declares, is in
evitable, and may come in one or two
years. This gloomy view of the canal
situation was taken in the course of a
| debate which occupied nearly the whole
OF the senate's session yesterday.
For time the debate was public, but
Mr.. Cullom finally objected and the
senate went into executive session. The
| debate grew out of the resolution intro
| duced by Mr.. Morgan Thursday calling
on the secretary OF war for the corre-
spondence regarding the military occu-
patton of the bays of Panama and
Colon.
Mr.. Morgan explained the object OF
the resolution and saii that If adopted
it would prove or siisprove all of the
allegations made in the press of Colom-
bia and the United States that at the
time of the settlement of the insurrec-
ton the government of Colombia had
proposed to the instructors that 1T
would pay 100000 for peace, the
amount to be paid cut of the sum OBJ
tanned from the United States for the
sale of concessions relating to the 18TH
milan canal.
He declared that no organized gov
eminent existed in Colombia, but that 1t
was under dictator. He read from
the correspondence leading up to the
negotiation of a canal treaty and said
that, in the opinion of the president, a
satisfactory title could be given by
Colombia and an agreement had been
reached fixing price of 100000 and
$250,000 per annum.
At this point Mr. Cullom rose and
asked Mr.. Morgan il matters of this
kind should not be discussed behind
closed doors and moved an executive
session.
Mr. Morgan replied that "the senator
need not make any apology to me for
that motion. have had 1t inflicted and
covered up before for the purpose of
preventing debate and inquiry into pub
lie affairs"
Mr.. Cullom insisted on an executive
session and Mr. Morgan raised the point
OF order that he had The floor and the
motion could not prevail.
Mr.. Frye overrulei the point of orr
der. and at 12:45 the senate went into
executive session.
After the doors .lcsed Mr.. Morgan
tc ..1rs
cially of the Irregularities which, he
said, characterized the government OF
Panama. He did not however. do this
until he had spoken OF the course of the
senate in closing the doors while he was
discussing his resolution. He said he
considered himself rs good judge as
any one of the proprieties connected
with executive matters. He had not
violated these proprieties and did not
intend to do so.
He expressed the opinion that ques-
ton of such Importance as the con-
struction of an interoceanic canal, in
which the entire world is interested,
should be openly debated. and he an
nounced his intention of offering a mo-
ton to that effect in the senate.
He then quoted at length the news
paper reports concerning affairs In
Colombia upon which his resolution was
predicated, and proceeded with his re-
marks for the purpose Of showing that
this government had undertaken to pay
the Colombian insurgents 100000.
The resolution went 20 the calendar.
At o'clock the doors were reopened,
and Mr.. Morgan proceeded with his re-
marks, which, he said, he had been
prevented from delivering when the
doors were closed. He asked that an
article printed in newspaper of Jan.
so, 1903, and which was read in secret
session. be inserted IN the Record as a
part of his remarks. Mr.. Hale objected
and said that as the subject had been
referred to behind closed doors, it
should not be spoken CT in open session.
II call the senator to order" said Mr..
Morgan. "He has no right to speak of
what took place behind closed doors"
AT this iuncture the statehood bill
was laid before the senate. Mr.. Kean
yielded the floor to Mr.. Morgan. who
said he had number of other articles
on the subject of the canal He believed
that If the United States persisted In
going on as it now is 4 war with Colom-
bia will become Inevitable, possibly
within one or two years, and that the
of the war that has al
ready broken out in the Central Amerl-
can states will lead to complications on
the part of the United States and will
cause us to regret we ever had any
connection with the subject.