Evening star., 1903-11-09
DR.. HERRAN'S PROTEST
It is Handed to the President
by Secretary Hay.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
WILL BE DEcIDEn ON AT CONFER
ENCE.
Panama's Envoy Not Presented Today
Sends an Earnest Appeal to
Senator Morgan.

1
| House early this morning, placed in the
| hands Of the President the Colombian pro-
| test against the course pursued by the
| Washington government on the Isthmus of
Panama and it's attitude toward the gov
| ernment of Panama.
| The protest came to Secretary Hay from
| DR.. Thomas Herran, the Colombian charge
and was duly acknowledged in brief
formal note. The protest is short and to
| the point. 1t follows istlle usual lines of
formal communica tons of that kind. In
view of the statement by the Colombian
| charge that he has not been In communi-
cation with his government since November
2, 1t is assumed that he may have protested
| on his own responsibility
| What action will be taken regarding the
protest will probably be decided on at a
| conference between the President and the
| Secretary today.
| No cables reached the State or Navy De-
| partment over night from isthmian lands or
waters, nor has the State Department heard
| from Bogota since cabling to the American
| legation there for presentation to the Co.
lonb1an government all announcement OF
the action of the United States in recognize
ing the de factO government of Panama.
1t appears that DR.. Herran's protest was
called forth by letter from Secretary Hay,
sent at the same time last week that in
structions were forwarded to Minister Beau
pre- and Acting Consul Ehrman. The Secre-
tarys letter was sent as a matter of cour-
tesy and informa ton to the minister and
contained an outlineof the instructions
which had been forwarded to Mr.. Beaupre.
In his reply, which has just reached Sec
retary Hay, DR.. HeIran states that he has
not heard from his own government at
Bogota for the week past. but he feels
sure from his knowledge of the sentiments
of that government that he is justified
in entering a firm protest against the ac-
tion of the United States in recognizing
the revoutionsts in Panama and In pre-
venting the Colombian forces from as
sertfng, the national authority over the
iSthmuS.
Secretary Hays Response.
Secretary Hays response, which will be
delivered this afternoon probably, is
mere formal acknowle.sHsnt of the re-
ceipt Of the protest With promise that it
!! shall be considered but r 81 intimated that
nothing is likely to he zone just now. 1t
is said at the State Depaftment that there
is nothing in the situation that should lead
the Colombian minister to cherish any
thought Of leaving Washington, and ex-
pressions Of regard for his personality are
not withheld.
The apparent inability Of the Colombians
to realize the fact that the canal treaty
is dead and that the revolution is a sue
cess is furnished by the fact that cable
message was received today at the State
DepdTlueul lIOul N1ulSlcE Dtduptc, udlcu
at Bogota, November Q. in which the min
lister stated that great change of feeling
has come about in tBogeta, and that
the advocates Of the canal treaty with
strength. ..-
Varilla Appeals to Morgan.
An indication of the friendly policy with
which the minister pleBipotentiary and
envoy extraordinary of the new republic of
ton is the fact that one of the first official
acts of NJ. Philippe Bunau-Varilla was the
sending of a letter to Senator John T. Nor
gan of Alabama, the leader of the advocates
of the Nicaraguan route and the open enc
my of the Panama project. The minister
| in this letter paid warm tribute to Sena-
tor Morgan and urged him for the common
good to join forces with the new republic
and aid in the prompt conclusion of a
canal treaty between the United States and
the isthmian republic.
The following is the text of Mr. Varillas
letter:
las a champion of the completion of an
interoceanc canal across the American
| isthnus, as the minister plenipotentiary Of
the new republic, the life of which has
sprung from an explosion of the ardent
desire of turning into reality this dream Of
the centuries, l feel myself bound to ex-
press to you my admiration for the display
of indomitable will you have shown in the
| service Of this noble conception.
1.-THE fact that we have fought, both
with all the energies of our souls, for
common ideal is not lessened by the minor
fact of having defended different solu-
tions.
'If have not been on the same side as
you, allow me, Mr.. Senator. to say that
| it is simply because l entered into the
| field of active life about one-third of a CEN
tury after you.
THE solution which was the better one
fifty years ago, when there was scarcely
any ship drawing more than seventeen
feet of water, has gradually seen It's su-
periority vanish and transform itself into
deep inferiority, accord ngs to- the constant
increase of the draft and the length of the
ships.
'.These gradual and scarcely notable
changes in the technical necessities of
the waterway accountable for the DIFF
ference OF opinion between you, the cham
pion of the solution sof the middle of the
nineteenth century, and the champions OF
the solution of the beginning of the twen-
tieth.
Now, Mr.. Senator, come to you and
most respectfully entreat you to take the
high place which is due to the honored vet
eran of the nobiest fight that ever took
|. place for the progress Of the world and the
welfare of mankind.
II beg You, not To throw away any of the
title which the thankfulness of humanity
owes to you, that of the father of the 18TH
mian canal. beg you to take the laurels
of victory which is yours, by accepting
with "a generous and Christian mind what
the changes in Sfhe necessities of ocean
traffic has made Inevitable
You VIII we'll crown a noble life. in
spired by the greatest, the most patriotic,
the most disinterested aim.
Il am Mr.. Senator. most respectfully,
iSigned) "P. BUNAU-VARILI1A'' .
Varilla's Presentation Postponed.
After sending this letter the minister
drove at once to the residence of Secretary
Hay. where he was the Secretary's guest
at luncheon The minister's call at the
State Department has been postponed to
another day because OF the conference at
the White House between the President and