Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-16
DIXIE LANDS MARINES
German Steamer Scotia Ar
rives at Colon.
REYES MAY BE ABOARD
COLOMBIA FEELS KEENLY THE
LOSS OF TERRITORY.
Revenues Of New Panama Republic
Will Likely Meet All
Expenses.
REYES MAY BE ABOARD


rived from the coast at shutdown today,
flying the Colombian flag. Her agents
| signaled the Scotia to come alongside her
| wharf, but she is now anchored a mile and
| a half from the harbor.
Cutters from the United States auxiliary
| cruiser Dixie are plying to and from the
| Scotia, which has no communication with
| the shore. There Is great excitement as 1t
| is said that Gen. Reyes and his staff are
| aboard the vessel.
| The United States converted cruiser May
! flower left her anchorage and steamed to
| meet the Scotia The moment the Scotia
anchored twenty marines from the Dixie
| were landed here.
Produces Laughter.
From Panama came the following cable
gram:
President Marroquin's statement, as con-
veyed in cablegram to Gen. Plaza, presi-
dent of Ecuador, that Gems. Reyes, Cabal-
ferrous, Ospina and Holguin are now march
ing on the isthmus to suppress the 18TH
milan traitors" has set the entire popula-
ton of the isthmus laughing
Protected by the impenetrability of the
land and the many leagues of coast line
separating the isthmus from Colombia, and
prevent the landing of Colombian soldiers
from the sea, the isthmians feel that their
security is absolute.
The loss of the isthman territory is, Of
course, tragedy for Colombia. The gov
errment at Bogota is probably ignorant of
the attitude taken by the government Of
the United States during the last two
weeks. In a frenzy Ito save it's face" to
appease an angry and disappointed popu-
lace. and to satisfy the public demand for
some appearance of activity, and in an at
tempt to save the honor and the territorial
integrity of Colombia, the government is,
no doubt, promising and threatening to
send forces to the coast and to take other
aggressive steps. The realization by the
Colombian government of the impossibility
of sending troops to the sthnus would not
necessarily deter it from taking these steps
which, as already stated, are intended
merely to satisfy the people.
To Prevent an Outbreak.
Well-informed people on the isthmus be-
lieve that the Colombian government is
going through all these forms of organizing
expeditions not merely for the foregoing
reasons, but owing to the necessity of
forestalling or weakening the threatened
revolutionary outbreak in Bogota
The growing feeling against President
Marroquin is believed to be due TO the fact
that he did not show sufficient determine
ton to effect the ratification of the canal
treaty, which would have saved the isthmus
to Colombia, and because he appointed
General Obaldia governor of the department
of Panama, after Obaldia had declared that
he would remain Colombian if the treaty
were ratified, but that otherwise he would
only be Panamafan. General Obaldia
was born in Chiriqui in the state of Pan
ANA.
Miners and others familiar with the coast
on both sides of the isthmus declare that
any attempt to march an expeditionary
Ar to
isthmus would be futile. Both coasts con-
sst of impossible jungles and swamps and
rivers, without towns roads any
means for the provisioning of army The
members of the junta have not the slight
est fear that any such expedition will be
attempted. and they receive the reports of
such expeditions with equanimity
Depending on Us.
What Is described here in Panama as
THE United States broad Interpretation of
the clause of the treaty of 1916 regarding
the protection of traffic across the isthmus
is deemed ample for the prevention of the
TRANSFORMATION of troops by sea and of con-
seuuent hostilities The Pacific Steam Navi-
CATION Company, a British concern, plying
between Panama and Buenaventura, has a
clause in its contract with the Colombian
government which says that it must under
normal conditions transport government
troops. 1t can, however, be said authori
tatively that the company will not transport
Colombian troops to the isthmus under
present conditions, and that 1t has not been
asked by the Colombian government to do
So Other vessels which bring troops from
any Colombian port for any point in the re-
public of Panama will be prevented by the
naval authorities from diSembarking them
in case they insist on so doing after warn
ing has been given.
The revenues of the new republic if
economically administered, promise to meet
nf