Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21
MAKING 4 REPUBLIC
Panama Revolt Was Long in
Preparation.
BEGAN IN THE SPRING
BUTTONS APPEARED ON CELE-
BRATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Many Other Tokens and Symbols Of the
New Government Promptly
Exhibited.
BEGAN IN THE SPRING
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
PANAMA. Republic of Panama,

| PANAMA, Republic of Panama,
November 10, 1908.
| New republics are made. not born. That
| is the way with this latest one. The max
| Ing has been slow. The final work has been
swift That is why all of it seems to be
| only of day or a week
1t is a government in fact, because no
shadow of opposition to its authority exists
! 1t is a government OF right, because 1T gov
erns with the consent and support Of 80 per
cent of the people Of the isthmus. NO one
| who comes here and seeks to know will
doubt this These are the de facto and the
de jure conditions stated for the benefit OF
| those who have to deal with the subtleties
| of precedents in recognition.
Movement Began Last Spring.
The movement began at once after the
ratification of the canal treaty by the
United States Senate. Though hoping for
ratification by the Colombian congress less
confidence was felt on the isthmus that such
would be the outcome than was felt in
Washington To meet a possible emersen-
cy thorough organization was perfected
That this was going on was to be seen as
early as last April. Arms were brought in
steadily recruits were secretly drilled and
the whole isthmus became what it is to-
day-an arsenal and not altogether an anna
teur one, either.
The outcome met the insurgents hopes
When the congress at Bogota adjourned
after unanimously rejecting the treaty the
discomfort was not left to show itself In
spasmodic and unconnected outbreaks. The
movement for independence was near fruf-
ton. but some of the peaceful missionary
efforts were thought to need little more
time The difficulty was in holding In check
some of the outlying supporters.
The Crisis.
The crisis came when the new military
governor. General Pompilio Gutierrez was
sent with troops from Bogota. To have
waited longer would have endangered ev-
erything The revolutionists struck. ana
struck with such force and success that
after the first blow they ceased to be reVo-
lution;sts and We're in complete control.
While hoping TO gain peaceful possession
they had feared the re-eractmeht Oh tne
bloody scenes and the destruction OF prop
erty which marked previous struggles NO"
that it IS all passed the curtain IS draWh
aside a moment on the bloody drama that
was possible and then is shifted, happiiy
forever
Confusion yet exists on the part OF 'ie
people of the isthmus and also OF the ieaa-
ers of the movement regarding the diiier-
ence between a provisional and pefna-
nent government. international intercourse
negotiations OF treaties and the adjustment
of relations with the United States ana
with Colombia. Some of the questions
which, because of their future bearing, VIII
call for careful consideration and matured
Judgment in Washington they expect TO De
settled Immediately. But the pubic TRAN
guilty will not be disturbed by the neces-
sary waiting The provisional government
is collecting and dsbursing the revenues.
administering the laws, maintaining order
and exercising all the attributes of sover-
eighty 1t will keep on doing so without
friction The inhabitants of the lsthmus
are chiefly concerned in having it under
stood that they cut off from COLOMBIA In
order to secure the canal. That is the rea-
son for existence of the republic of Panama
Found New Flag.
Just how the change from the old to the
new seems to the visitor came within my in
dividual experience. I was a veyager on
the steamer Imperial, which steamed into
the harbor at daybreak on the morning of
November Z Since the bubonic plague
broke out, seven months ago, trying to
travel from one Pacific port to another has
been like journeyng from purgatory to the
lower depths. The dread of a senseless
quarantine of unknown duration is ever
present
We had not been allowed to land at Quay
aquil and were wondering what would be
our reception at Panama. Our misgivings
were heightened when sailboat tackled
few hundred feet astern and hailed us. 1t
contained a representative of the steam
ship agents, young man who said he was
from the captain of the port and a doctor
from the health officer. The latter clam
bered aboard He brought a bundle of
newspapers and new flag, which the men
who remained In the boat shouted was to
be hoisted
The Imperial, entering what was supposed
to be a Colombian port, foated the Colom-
bian colors. The health officer briefly ex-
planned that they would have to come down
and the new flag go up. There was a new
republic. he said. Then he unfolded the
standard of Panama.
1t was beautiful grouping of color, red
white and blue, in four squares one OF red
one of blue and two of white, five pointed
stars in blue and red, respectively, against
the White backGrOunCS. The stars, the
young health officer told US. were sym5oIicai
of the union of the liberals and conserva-
tives. who were united in supporting
the republic.
The ships officers were puzzled and also
somewhat worried. They had had previous
experience In the Bay of Panama when
rival parties We're claiming the right to
designate the flag. A hundred yards away
rose the masts of the Lautara merchant
ship sunk some years ago when a Colom-
bian gunboat without notice sent shot
crashing through her. and the captain and
crew saved themselves by leaping over
board and swimming. The masts of the
wreck were reminder of the helplessness
of merchant craft in such circumstances.
Panama Emblem Hoisted.
The newspaper accounts of the new re-
| public were reassuring enough to justify
| temporary recognition at least and the Co.
| lombian standard came down and the Pan
! anna emblem went up. Then. 1t being full
| daylight. a slate-colored gunboat was dis
| cerned few hundred feet away. She was
| flying the two-star ensign. The city of