The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-18
COLOMBIA WONT
GET one CENT
Money to Be Paid for Canal Con-
cession Will Go to
Panama.
Story That It Would Be Turned
Over to Colombia Is
Denied.
It Will Be Used to Set the New
Republic Up in House
keeping.
New York Sun Special Service.


in a Washington special to the Record
Herald, says:
Colombia will not get 10000, 900
from the United States, nor from the
new republic of Panama, nor from
ANYBODY else. 1t has been rumored for
several days that the managers of the
little isthmian nation, acting under
advice from the United States. would
consent to pay over to Colombia as
peace offering the $10,0O0,000 in gold
which they expect to receive from the
United States as the price Of the canal
concession.
The theory was that by giving the
Colombians the money, salve would
be placed on their wounds and they
would consent to subside and make no
more disturbance. Unfortunately for
the Colombians, there is no founda-
ton for the rumor. High officials Of
our government deny that they have
ever given or thought of giving any
such advice to the little republic which
Is now sheltered under the wing OF
the American eagle. And Minister
Bunau-Varilla said that his govee@r
ment would be glad to share the $10.-
100000 with Colombia to the extent
| of just one cent.
mo, L do not mean one per cent,
but cent Of good American money and
| no more the minister added Laughs
fngly.
i Nations Dover Money.
| Naturally the United States could
| not assume that Colombia was entitled
| to a share of the money either by di-
rect payment OF by the roundab bout
road Of the Panama republic. That
would be tantamount to confession
| that Colombia had been wronged.
| Quite as naturally the men who are at
the head of the new republic will not
care to part with such snug sum
as $40, 100000, a capital ample enough
/ to set the young nation up in house,
/ Keeping In very comfortable circunl-
1 stances
/ The Colon1bians appear to be play-
iingsin hard luck. They have lost their
! isthmus and the money they had
4 hoped to get for it. Now they are in
world. The protest which President
/ Marroquin forwarded to the United
4 States will be ignored by this govern
4 ment ling. the fiFst place, President
1 sMarroquin chose an exceedingly ur-
i fartunata method of transmitting his
4 American secretary of state and not
1 to the senate direct. Tho he might
! be excused for that blunder OH the
| ground of his ignorance of the sim
| plest requirements of diplomacy, he
cannot, be pardoned for sending it to
a newspaper to be published even be-
/ fore. it could reach the body to which
lit was addressed.
These plumbers of etiquette are in
Significant compared with the crown
Ing piece Of folly committed by the
i ;distraught Colombians in offering an
insult to the United States govern
rnent in the charge that the United
1 States had fomented the separatist
movements on the isthnlus The Mar
1roqufn document was informally dis
tcussed at the cabinet meeting yester-
/ day and the conclusion was that the
best thing the United States could do
1 would be to ignore it as a piece of ur1-
Warrantable impertinence. Besides, it
makes little difference what Colombia
may say OF do. Manifest destiny. has
1 worked itself out and there is no way
of turning back the wheels of progress.
Bondholders Anxious.
| Some surprise has been expressed
at the failure Of Great Britain to rec
ognize the Panama republic, tagging
| behind the United States, Germany
! and France. In diplomatic circles the
explanation is offered that many mil
lions Of Colombian bonds are held by
English investors and these bondhold-
ers are worried about their securities
/ now that Colombia has lost her most
! valuable asset. They have doubtless
i brought influence to bear upon the
British government to induce 1t to
4 withhold recognition, tho what is to
be gained thereby is not quite clear.
Minister Bunau-VariIla, was asked if
there was any ground for the rumor
that his government will be willing to
arrange terms with the English bond
4 holders. 4
EYES," replied the minister. Eve
are willing to pay our pro rata share
i Of the bonds Of Colombia. now out
standing. That is to say, we. will pay.
exactly the share of the proceeds OF
1 those bonds which was devoted to the
1 department of Panama by the Colom-
| bian government
i Apparently this was his day for sar-
casn: as 1t is we'll known Colombia
never spent anything on the isthmus,
but OH the contrary, treated the peo-
pie there very much as Span treated
Cuba-that is, MIXED it dry and gave
nothing in return.