The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-11
AMERICANS ARE
VERY INDIGNANT
Property Has Been Seized by
Colombian Government
UNCLE SAM WILL INTERFERE
OFFENDERS WILL BE BROUGHT
UP WITH A JERK.

IIIAsHINGTON, April 10.-The dip
w lomatc exchanges between tho
United States legation at B0sota
and the department Of state at Wash
ington, which viii appear I'm the forth
coming volume of Foreign Relations
Of the United States" discloses that
numerous complaints were made by
American citizens during the rev0lu-
ton in Colombia OF the action OF the
military authorities of that government
in appropriating their mules and other
property. Mr. Beauhere. the American
charge at Bogota. in the absence OF
Minister Hart, writing 20 the state de-
partment concerning the rights of citi-
zens Of the United States as to APP
preparation Of property, cited a case
that came under his personal Observa-
ton. An American citizen who had
dined with him found upon going to
( look after two animals which ne had
purchased, that the saddles and brides
had been taken by a government Off
cial who had left a receipt fixing the
value of the articles taken at $1,000.
when it was estimated that the Amer
lean citizen would be obliged TO pay
49, 900 10 duplicate his lost articles.
Speaking Of this case, Mr.. Beauhere
said:
Small Chance Of Payment.
There are a dozen stores in Bogota
1 selling the saddles and brides" and
then asked: Whence the urgent, inn
mediate and pressing urgency that
would justify the fOrcible appropria-
| ton Of the saddles, etc. from the Amer
/ ican2" Continuing, he observed: Ger
I tainly under the system of arbitrarily
I fixing the value of such property. I'll is
much cheaper TO get it this way and
/ the day OF payment is indefinitely post
pOned. but I cannot believe fl consist
( ent with the guarantees of the public
/ treaties or the laws of nations. lt is
/ altogether probable that I'm the MAORI
| ty Of cases the reasons for eXprOpria-
/ ton are not more valid nor just than
! these I'm the case just cited. Necessari-
{ Iy with the financial distress Of the
| government, it is almost impossible TO
! collect claims. large or small. and the
! government has announced to many.
and 20 one American at least who had
la large amount of property seized taat
! close Of the war"
Assistant Secretary Hin, I'm q COM
municatiOn to the United States Legal
} ton at BOgota said: 'rhe declaration
of the minister of war that all foreign
/ ers should be deemed enemies must be
regarded as continuously offensive. and
/ this government must Iemoustrate
/ against such characterization of its cit-
( Izeuship having convent Onal rights Of
visit and soi0un n Colombia IN should
/ have been made the occasion of instant
I and vigorous protest
Uncle Sans Protest
The attitude of this government to-
ward the seizure by Colombia of prop
/ erty of Americans for military purposes
is shown by the following Instructions
/ sent by DR.. Hill, as acting secretary Of
state 20 the American Legation at BO-
gotta
you wiz notify the Colombian gov
eminent that this government yill hold
hit responsible for any proven cases OF
seizure OF American property Tor mile
tary purposes, without due c0mpensa-
lions.
Among the other subjects of diploma
I cy exchanged between Washington and
Bogota contained in this volume are
the seizure of vessels and alleged dis
ordinations against American enter
prises In Colombia, tne reopening of
United States missionary schools AZ
Barranquil, Mediiln alil Bogota. closed
by the Colombian authouues. and the
question of neutrality of aliens.