The San Francisco call., 1903-09-09
TAMPERING WITH DISPATCHES

is established as fact that official dispatches be-
tween our State Department and the American
L Minister to Colombia were sequestered by the
Colombian Government and all communication by
wire with representative was cut off for nearly
month, during the discussion of the canal treaty
in the Colombian Congress-
The offense is a serious In international re-
lations it amounts almost act of war. The
first claim OF sovereignty is the right of unrestricted
communication with our Ministers sent to foreign
countries To deny that is to insult Government
in a that requires the vndication OF its dig
nifty. Colombia like of the petty governments
OF Central America controls all the telegraph sys-
tenn. 1t is Government institution, and therefore
the suppression of these official dispatches is the
direct act of the Government.
The disposition behind it is that Of most of the
Latin American states. Our Government has been
slow to those states it does the rest of the
world 1t does enforce the rights of citizens
within their Jurisdiction and has permitted the rob-
berry and oppression of Americans to such extent
that the whole group of Latin states in this hemi-
sphere have become convinced that it is safe not only
to rob our citizens but to insult Government
During the war between Chile and Peru an Amer
lean was an officer in the Peruvian army. He
taken in battle along with other prisoners of war
and he alone was Immediately condemned to be
shot When the American Consul was appealed to
he refused to interfere to prevent the barbary But
when American captain who heard of the in
tended murder, told the British Consul that the
a British subject, that officer went at once to
the Chilean commander and demanded the mans
lease threatening that if this was instantly done
the British warships in the harbor would lombard
the town. The prisoner Immediately set free
though the firing squad was already in place to muir
der him.
! During the revolution three four years ago in
Guatemala Americans in the seaport appealed in vain
to their Minister for protection, and had to give
some Of their property to Englishmen, who informed
the British Minister Guatemala City, and mme-
diately British gunboat appeared in the harbor and
her captain took command OF the town under
threat to lombard it if his authority were not re-
spected These things intensely humiating to
Americans, and they inspire those pestent states
with contempt for Our Government Primarily the
fault is with our own people, who do not seem to
understand that is the duty of this Government to
protect its citizens and their property abroad in
turn for the allegiance which it demands of them
Minister Bowen has done the interests of our
people and the dignity of his Government great harm
by his mushy blatherskiting in the interest of the
bandit fend Castro of Venezuela. The Latn-Ameri-
cans attribute his attitude to fear of them and take
nm do lle NOWdIulCt VI our
What is needed in Latin America is the resentment
OF these insults to Government even to the ex-
tent of thorough thrashng of one of those states,
and Colombia would be good place to begin If
that Government had suppressed communication be-
tween the British Foreign Office and the Minister
to Bogoa she would be in trouble of the serious
kind Immediately. What our own Government needs
is the support of proper American conception of
the rights Of Americans abroad and especially pub
lie opinion Immediately resentful OF such acts as this
suppression of our official dispatches