Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-31
LESS DANGER H WAR
Probability Of a Hostile Clash
With Colombia Decreasing.
MORE VESSELS SAIL
NAVAL FORCE ON THE ISTHMUS
TO BE REINFORCED.
Two Field or Mountain Batteries to Be
Prepared for Transports tion-Mii-
tary Operations Held in Allegiance.

The administration is somewhat embar-
rassed with respect TO active military opera
tions on the 1sthmus of Panama pending
the ratification by the Senate Of the treaty
recently concluded with Panama 1t is
feared that any radical action based on that
instrument in advance of it. Formal rath-
cation might result in serious complications
In the opinion of some officials the authority
of the United States is at present limited
under the treaty of 1916 with New Granada
to the preservation of free transit across
the isthmus, and that until the Hay-Bunau-
Varilla treaty is an accomplished fact the
right of the United States, under existing
conditions to use force gainstzColombia in
Its efforts to regain the territofEeof Panama
is questionable. If not violatvezof the prin-
ciples of international law.
The new treaty gives the United States
full authority to maintain the Hntegrty of
the new republic of Panama and If that
agreement were in force there would be no
question to the legal right a the PreSi-
dent to send troops to any parEef Panama
and keep out any Colombian E<oops that
might attempt to enter that territory. 1t
is on this account that the oh3eers of the
admnisrati ton desire prompt action on the
pending treaty, and it also explains in
measure why operations on the itshmus
have been confined to the navy And marine
forces instead Of using regular tsOops in the
land operations. q
Danger Of Clash Abathg.f
But State Department adviaA1 OF recent
date all go to show that the Danger of
hostile clash with Colombia h Dating, and
these. taken in connection with ME-. Beam
pres courteous treatment by thX Colombian
officials on his way home, tendEto confirm
the official impression here atht ta&Ee is
now a fair chance of, reaching Atf5fac-
tory adjustment of the issues kweeH ihe
United States and Colombia A one
thing it appears that the seabDAr6 states'
OF Colombia have come to rea In
the event of hostilities they w Ids be the
fist sufferers by contact wisi r. naval.
force. while the officials at Bogota. two
weeks distant from the sea, would hsve lit
tie at stake.
More Vessels Sail for Panama
Word has been received at the Navy De-
partment from San. Francisco that three
additional vessels left that place yesterday
to join the fleet under Admiral Glass at
Panama. They are the gunboat Bennington
and the destroyers Preble and Paul Jones.
The gunboat will act as convoy to the
smaller vessels They will stop at La Paz,
Mexico, for coal. and also may sop at San
Diego for the same purpose.
An almost similar feet arrived at Kings
ton, jamaica yesterday on it's way to
Colon for similar patrol service along the
coast. This small fleet consists of the gun
boat Topeka and the torpedo boat destroy
ers Stewart and Truxton. They Will re-
sumo their journey soon as they have
taken on coal The Topeka is conveying
the torpedo boats.
The collier Caesar arrived at Colon yes
terday and the collier Lebanon left Balti-
rt,1
collier Leonidas is loading with coal at
Baltimore for the fleet at Colon, and Will
start today or tomorrow.
Movable Batteries to Be Prepared.
In accordance with the policy of being
pi epared for any emergency that may arise,
the general staff of the army has
directed that two field or mountain hat
teries O. the army be placed in state Of
readiness for prompt transportation to the
1sthmuS of Panama, OF any other point
where such artillery may be required. One
of these batteries is at Fort Leavenworth,
Kan, and the other is at Fort Riley, Kan,
in command of Capt William S. McNair
OF the Artillery Corps The guns of these
batteries may be detached from their
mounts and carried upon the backs of
mules through any country accessible to
such ANIMALS. They were used in the Phil
ippines with great success.
Volunteers for Colombia.
Canadians and Germans from various
parts of the United States and Canada
are applying to the Colombian legation Of
ficials here for permission 10 enlist in the
Colombian army or navy and assist in nos
tilties against the isthmps These requests
have become numerous .>st the Colorn-
bian charge. DIR. Herran, mas been forced
to abandon his attempt to answer each one
personally and he therefore announced that
he is without authority to enlist men in the
Colombian army or navy and that such
matters must be attended to in Bogota.
1t seems that the Canadian offers of assist
ance outnumber those coming from Ger
mans in this country and many of the writ
ers express their willingness to aid Col
ombia In any efforts she may make to
avenge the Panama incident.