Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-18

tight TO the bitter tllu IN case lien.
Reyes visit to Washington is not
successful and Panama is not returned
to Colombia.
l,earIy in the morning of Dec 10,
the Atlanta sighted q small schooner
in the center of the gulf of Darien and
followed her to the western shore
where the schooner attempted to hide
behind an inlet. Lient Harlan Perrill
of the Atlanta was ordered to bard
her and thereupon Il Whaleboat was
lowered and pulled towards the schoon-
or. Through the courtesy of the naval
officers the correspondent of The Asso-
ciated Press accompanied the party in
the whaleb0at. 1t was found that the
schooner had on board 1G0 armed CO.
lombian soldiers commanded by Gen.
Rafael Novo, who said Gen. Daniel
Ortiz. commander-in-chief Of the Co.
lombian forces of the Atlantic and Pa
ciHc. had n large camp Il mile away
from the mainland.
Cen. Noro requested Lient PERIL to
land and confer with Gen. Ortiz.
After temporarily returning to the
Atlanta, Lieut.. Perrell went back to
the schooner which, in the meantime,
had taken ~ a position off a beach
within Il small bay. Great excitement
prevailed among the Colombans on
the whaleboat's approach. There were
repeated cries Of viva Colombia" and
there was a sudden concentration of
about $50 Colombian soldieds on the
beach. For some moments the situa-
ton appeared dangerous and had thu
appearance of an ambuscade. Gen.
Ortiz appeared on the beach when
Lieut. PERIL went ashore, in the mean
time the whaleboat lying close to the
beach. Gen. Ortiz insisted that Lieut.
Perrill should fly the Colombian flag
at the bow of the whaleboat or lower
the American flag at her stern because
She was iakrolo,nbian waters. Lieut..
Perrill repffed that he did not have a
Colombian Nag ard refused to lower
the Stars and Stripes
Gen. Ortiz did not insist uoOn his SO
doing. but he protested in writing
against the presence of the Americans
in Colombian waters. Lieut. Perriil
accepted the protest and conveyed il
to Commander Turner who handed it
to Rear Admiral Coghlan on his arrival
here.
of Il men. On the first trip there were
no arms in the party except four re-
volvers. When the whaleboat APP
preached the schooner "A soldiers were
seen seated on the side nearest to the
direction from which the Americans
came with rifles lying nandily across
their knees and pointed toward the
whalcboat.
Gen. Novo, who is a Venezuelan by
birth and second in command of the
Colombian forces, stood on the deck
of the schooner and insolently called
out in broken English; What way is
this to make war?'
Lieut.. Perril explained that it was
not war but friendly visit
Gen. Novo. however, refused to fur
nish him with any information
An Interpreter who boarded the
schooner discovered that she had 20
or so armed men packed sardine- like
in her hold.
The Atlanta then signalled to Lieut..
PERIL to return to his ship and later
the lieutenant returned to the shore
to visit Gen. Otiz. This time he took
with him Il dozen rifles concealed in
the bow of the boat in case of elner-
gency. The whaleboat was rowei
steadily toward the schooner the ex-
element increasing as she approached;
but. when Lieut.. Perrill went on shore
Gen. Ortiz appeared on the beach and
the excitement subsidized
After the flag incident Gen. Ortiz
made an eloquent verbal protest
against the Americans presence, the
Colombian troops continually cheering
his remarks. He subsequently COM
mitted his protest to writing. The
general seemed uncertain at the be-
ginning whether or not war had been
declared. He left the port of Carta-
gena, Dec. 2, and some of the others
declared they had been in the Gulf
for month past conducting defensive
and preparatory operations.
The protest reads partly as follows:
ITO the Captain of the Atlanta:
Daniel Ortiz. commandant-genera!
of division of the Colombian army
and first adjutant to Gen. Reyes, pro-
tests most energetically in the name