Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28
there still. helping to firmly establish II
Panama republic.
A Noted General of Panama.

Gen. Herrera. the commandment -chief of
the liberal forces the isthmus during
the revolution, may be expected to become
a great man in the new republic. He is a
remarkable person, who has to be reck-
ored with in any consideration of isthmian
affairs. In his way, he Is fine general,
though he lacks dash, and somehow never
manages to push his victories home Ihat
was probably because he mates slaughter
and, for Latin-American general, Is
strangely careful of the lives of his men.
During the revolution he occupied
strong position forty or fifty miles from
Panama, and all the efforts of the govern
nent for three years could not drive him
fl en- 1t. His men knew every inch of the
mountains, swamps and jungles over which
they fought, and they practiced guerrilla
tactics with deadly effect. -.-.- -
Herrera'S secret service was perfect. All
through the war he knew of every move
of the government before 1t was made.
Nine tenths of the people In Panama, being
liberal at heart, were ready to give him
information. He could have told you the
number of sheets Of letter paper on the desk
of the governor of Panama at any time,
If he had wished. One of his staff officers
actually became private secretary to the
governor for several months and. OF course,
sent him copies of every dispatch and every
secret order issued by that official, delay
ing them when necessary so that Herrera
could get his ambush ready first and sur
prise the eXpeQlt1O0S sent 10 SURPRISE iiiii.
One expedition sent from Panama was
captured Zen bloc" by Herrera without mr.
ing shot 1000 men. guns, baggage, mule
train, generals and all
Herrera pretended to retreat In confu-
sion and led the enemy a long march into
the middle of a mountainous jungle. Then
his troops seemed to vanish into thin AIR
and hunting for them was like looking for
a needle in bottle Of hay
The government general, in disgust. Or
&c, tn
doing So two men came down the noun
tain side under white flag. They invited
the general to conference with herrera.
"Ah," thought the Colombian. at last
1 have trapped the fox, and now he wants
to surrender. .
Herrera met the general and took MIN
round his lines. showing him that ms guns
and his troops were cleverly ambushed IN
a complete circle on the heights , surfou Ina
ing the army encamped in the valley. Her,
rera mad only to give the order to IRE ano
that force would be annihilated Inc gov
eminent leader stormed and swore LOT a
few moments, then sat down on rock anu
cried like child with sheer vexation. VI
timately he surrendered, and most OF ms
men enlisted in Herreras army.
Herrera seemed to have things all MS
own way, and had practically got posses
sion Of the isthmus. when he unaccount.
ably surrendered and made a treaty OF
peace with the government
Queer Methods Of Drafting Soldiers.
During the four years Of the revolution
the government was put to desperate
straits to raise troops to keep up the fight
on the isthmus. where the liberal insur-
gents made their longest and most desper-
ate stand Week after week. month after
month, year after year. soldiers were pour
ed into the isthmus from all parts OF the
country by hundreds and thousands-only
to melt away In an incredibly short time
Some were killed in battle or died OF ois-
ease but three-fOurths deserted to the
enemy.
''To pour troops In the isthmus." said the
late General Alban, who was Killed IN
naval engagement while he was governor
of Panama is worse than pouring water
into the sand. 1t simply means reinforcing
the revolutionistsn
Frequently whole companies and regl-
ments would go over to the liberals OH
GERS and all. This seems less remarkable
when the. manner of their enlistment Is
considered.
1t was a common thing to see score of
Indians dragged into Panama by band OF
soldiers. Each Indian had raWhide larlat
around his neck which was held by sol
der as a man would hold a mule, and his
arms were bound to his side by rawhide
ropes.
"Who are these men," an American Wis
itor once asked the captain of the escort.
Are they criminals whom you nave cap
tured?"
mo, senor," the captain replied. They
are volunteers for the army"
In the remoter districts government troops
would surround the churches during mass,
enroll all the male members of the con-
gregation in the army and march away
with them. They would catch the Indians
peacefully tillng their fields and make
them exchange the ploughshare for the
machete.
Even in Panama when the need for re-
cruits was keenest, a company of soldiers
would be suddenly marched out OF the
Quartet" lined up across both ends of
street and ordered to arrest every boy and
man caught between the lines. Any we'll
known liberals IN the batch We're flung into
Jail: the rest We're given rusty Mausers,
taught the goose step and sent out to