Evening times-Republican., 1903-09-08
COLUMBIA TAPPING WIRES.
Uncle Sans Official Messages are In
terfered With and Held Uo.


Washington, Sept. Sit was learned
yesterday that on August 10, the state
department. suspecting that its cable
grams to Minister Beaupre at Bogota
and his cablegrams to Washington were
being held up by the Colombian author
tiles, began an investigation. A ttest
cablegram was sent to Minister Beau
pre-. giving the numbers of dispatches
previously forwarded and asking him
to specify those that had not been re-
ceived. The inquiry sent by the de-
partment got thru, and Minister Beau
pres reply was received. both inquiry
and answer being, of course In cipher.
Having positive knowledge that some
OF the important instructions Of the de-
partment had not reached Minister
Beanpre. and having satisfied himself
that the fault did not lie in the cable
between the United States and Buena
Ventura, Secretary Hay thereupon sent
a note of inquiry to Minister Herran
asking for an explanation of the inter-
ruption of communication.
Secretary Hays note to Minister
Herran was sent Sunday. It calls az
tention to the fact that cablegrams sent
late in July and early in August failed
to reach the American legation at Boz
gotta, and requests that immediate In
curry be set on foot to ascertain the
cause OF the interruption. 1T is not
necessary to impress upon you the
gravity Of the matter wrote Secre-
tary Hay, "as you will readily appre-
ciate the vital Importance Of prompt
between this govern
ment and its representatives at Boz
gotta during this critical juncture."
Minister Heran dispatched a cable
gram OF inquiry to the postmaster gem
eral of Colombia, who. Is also the direc-
tor OF telegraphs, within half an hour
after the receipt Of Secretary Hays
note. He has replied to Mr.. Hay stat
ing that upon receipt OF reply from
the postmaster general he will at once
transmit it to the state department. Mr..
Herran admits that the stoppage Is on
the land line between Buena Ventura
and Bogota, stretch of 400 miles, all
of which is under the control Of the
Colombian government. He does not.
however admit that there has been an
suppression OF messages,
either governmental or private.
The Panama Canal Company has no.
titled this government that it has re-
iected the efforts Of the Colombian au-
thorities to arrange deal by which q
part of the $400O0,000 to be paid to the
companies for its properties by the
United States, if the canal treaty Is
ratified, will be handed over to Colom-
bia.
This course of the company meets
with the approval of the United States
which has insisted that
any attempt to amend the canal treaty
by the insertion of a provision requir-
ing the Panama Canal Company TO di-
vide with Colombia would be distaste-
full to the Washington administration.
A notification to thai effect was given
to Colombia, while the treaty was un-
der consideration al Bogota.
The statement that Colombia had
been trying to get money out Of the
canal company, conditionally. of course,
on the ratification of the treaty, is re-
earded by some Of the leading officials
as confirming the view that the rejec-
tion Of the canal agreement was mat
ter of dollars and not patriotism.