The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-10
TROOPS ARE READY
no DESCEND UPON PANAMA FROM
COLOMBIA.
UNITED STATES PREPARED
no SEND FORCES AT ONCE TO AID
PANAMA.

RPUOrted by a snip ArriNeu Ut LII
Gualrm That the COIOmbians' Move
uent Against Panama Has he
.yun-Gen. Young Thinks Regi-
ment or Two of the United States
Army Could stop the COIOmbians.
Force Is Ready, If Needed.
Washington, Dec. 9.-Dr. Herran, the
Colombian charge d'affaires, to-day au-
+horized the statement that if troops
from Cartagena have landed near the
mouth of the Atrato river, as reported
nv the French steamer, which has ar
rived at La Guaira, it is directly in
onDosition to the advice of both HIM
self and Gen. Reyes.
Cen. Reyes stated that the La Guaira
dispatch was the first information he
had received of the reported movement
of Colombian troops. He declared,
however, that if it is true, as stated,
that such movement has taken place
it was without any orders from him.
T-pon coming to Washington as the
special representative of the Colombian
government, Gen. Reyes temporarily
relinquished the command of the Co
Gen. Castro. second in command. Gen.
Reyes confirmed the statement recent
~ made by Admiral Coghlan in a re-
port to the Navy Department that prior
to his departure for Washington he
had given instructions to the Colom-
bian troops to make no hostile dem
onstration until he was heard from,
and said that those troops were now
awaiting orders, which, however, would
not come from him direct, but from
the government at Bogota.
Roosevelt informed Reyes.
The General was formally informed
by the President himself of the inten-
tons of the government of the United
States respecting the isthmus. He was
told by the President that, as was
set out in the Presidents message to
Congress, the United States had de-
termjned to maintain the independence
of the new republic of Panama against
all Corners. While the guarantee is
contained in a treaty now pending be-
fore the United States Senate and as
Vet unratified, the administration has
Tor some time past been acting upon
the theory that the understanding is in
fun force. Therefore, all necessary
precautions have been taken to exert
Whatever physical force may be neces-
sary to protect the isthmian transit.
No Colombian troops will be allowed
to cross the frontier into Panama, or.
II they cross, they will be elected in
due time.
To Prevent "a Conflict.
The policy of the Navy Department
with respect to the entry of Colombian
troops into Panama was said to-day
TO be to prevent a conflict. To this
end, the naval commanders in those
waters have been given instructions to
Keep the Colombian troops at a greater
distance from the isthmus at points
Where a fight with the Panamanan
troops is likely to occur.
In all naval operations, the depart
ment is still guided by the treaty of
1876, under which the United States
guarantee to keep transit across the
lSthmus OPEN A broader Interpretation
OF the duties and responsibilities of
the government in this respect has
now been given to this treaty by which
the protection of the United States
viii not alone be confined to the canal
strip but to any part of the territory
OF Panama
War Department Ready.
When seen to-day Lieut.. Cen Young,
Chlet of staff, authorized the statement
to be made that the War Department
was ready to dispatch troops to the
lsthmus on short notice, should their
presence be demanded. Although the
statement heretofore has been denied,
II is learned that the department has
taken notice of the repeated reports
that Colombian troops We're assembling
at different points, with the aVowed
purpose of making a hostile demon
suatlon against Panama, and has per-
iected all military plans to repel such
an invasion. Gen. Young said that
should he be called upon to assist the
navy 1t would not be necessary to
send to the isthmus more than regi-
ment or two
Although none of the members of the
JOINT army and navy board, which
met to-day, would admit that the
lsthmian situation was under discus
sion, it is known that such was the
case, and that both the army and the
navy are now in state of prepared
ness for any conflict with Colombia
Which might arise. .
Atlanta is PatrOIling.
Colon, Dec. 9.-The United States
cruiser Atlanta is still patrolling the
eastern end of the San Bias coast and
Keeping an outlook for any attempt on
the part of the Colombian government
70 land troops on the isthmus. which
'lIe AIlanta would at once prevent.
The Atlanta is also endeavoring to
ascertain if the Indians know anything
or the movements of troops from the
interior across the frontier. and is
Seeking information concerning the al
legged concentration of Colombian
troops at the mouth of the Atrato river,
ON the Gulf of Darien. The Atrato
river, being in Colombian territory, the
Atlanta, of course, could not interfere
with any movements of Colombian
troops there.
The movements of the Atlanta are
entirely of a precautionary nature, and
Tor the purpose of securing informa-
ton.
The United States gunboat Bancroft
Iett to-day to patrol the western end
or the San Bias coast in cooperation
with the Atlanta. 1t is expected that
me latter vessel will return here in
Gay or two to report.
RPUOrf fran, In Euafrn.