Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-29
Meeting Of the Cabinet Called
to Consider It.
WHAT COLOMBIA ASKS
IT IS BELIEVED THAT PROPOSALS
WILL BE REJECTED.
Diplomatic and Consular Relations
Conceded, Will Be Severed.

The special meeting Of the cabinet to
be held this afternoon at o'clock, 1t is
understood, was called mainly for the pur-
pose OF considering the governments reply
to the note recently submitted to Secretary
Hay by Gen. Reyes in behalf of the gov
ernment of Colombia. Minister Reyes
note has been carefully guarded by all
those officially cognizant of it's contents,
but that has not served to prevent general
speculation among various persons as to
the probable character Of the communica-
ton.
The note was prepared by Gen. Reyes
with the assistance of DR.. Herran, secre-
tary Of the Colombian legation. and Judge
Wayne MacVeagh formerly United States
Attorney General. 1t Is said to be long
and able statement of the case from the
standpoint of Colombia and to be phrased
in a way to win sympathy from every
body opposed to the policy adopted by the
administration.
1t will be transmitted to the Senate, when
the reply Is made, together with other re-
cent correspondence in connection with the
Panamaaffair. The protracted illness Of
Secretary Hay has delayed the preparation
Of the reply, but the President and the Sec
retary have recently conferred at length on
the subject and are in full accord as to the
position to be taken with regard to the
Guesses at Reyes Note.
According to one authority the Reyes
note asks, in the interests of right and JUS
tice, that the United States permit the res
toration of the status quo ante, by keeping
hands off while Colombia puts down the re-
bellion In Panama and takes that state
back into the Colombian union. In the
event of the rejection of this proposition 1t
fc rn6n haf
asked to compensate Colombia for the loss
of the valuable territory of Panama, the
amount of damages to be determined by
The Hague tribunal.
None of the officials informed on the
subject Will either admit or deny the cor
rectneSS of these speculatiOns as to the
specific demands of Colombia for settle
ment of the points at issue, but they have
been iterated and reiterated so often and
In so many different RuiseS that there is
growing impression there is a solid basis
for the report
Rejection of Proposals Expected.
1t is generally conceded in diplomatic
circles that the complete rejection by the
United States of the Colombian proposals
for settlement of the controversy will un-
dcubtedly result in the withdrawal of the
diplomatic and consular representatives Of
bet countries and the severance of diplo-
matte and commercial relations between
the two countries. The fact that U. 8.
Minister Beaupre Is returning home ION
leave of Absence and that Gen. Reyes
and DR.. Herran, the Colombian secretary,
are preparing to return to Bogota, the lat
ter Ion leave of absence" is accepted by
some diplomats to mean that the officials
named are satisfied that harmonious and
satisfactory solution of the difficulty is ex-
tremely improbable, If not impossible.
Although there is no likelihood that the
United States will seriously consider the
c-ff TOM 90 fIa cfa afrta o,tn
it is a fair inference that it will willingly
consider some plan by which the seeded
state of Panama shall meet its proper
bia, especially as the diplomatic representa-
tive of Panama has already expressed him
self as favorable to such a course.