Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-07


sterview with Colonel Torres. in the
course of which / Uniformed him that
l. had re-lGnded my men because he
had not Kept his agreement; that
had no interest in the affairs of either
party; that my attitude was strictly
neutral; hat the troops of neither side
Should be transported; that my sole q
purpose in landing was to protect the
lines and 'rnperty of American citi-
zens IL threatened. as they had been
Threatened. and to maintain the free
ard rli,Gr1 :ulted transit of the 18th
mus and that I,.rpcse should main
strongly advised that sin the interests
of peace. and 10 prevent tine possibil-
lily Of Il cCT.Gict that could not but be
sregrettahle. he should carry out his
agreement of the. prev Gus evening and
w:.Etraw.yro -fionkey H,ll.
Colenel Torres reilly was thatiit was
unhealivsat Monkey Hill, a reiteration
f of his love of Americans, and persis-
t:tnce in his intention 10 occuply Co.
lcp. siu,.'ld Sc. eral fetal not give him
directions to the contrary
ON the return Of the alcalde at about
+ IL a m. the Colombian troops march
ed INTO Colon. but did not assume the
thteateping demeanor of the previous
day. The American women and chill
dren again went on board the Mar
comania ana City if Washington, and
through the F-itish' vice consul Of
fered protection to British subjects as
directed in the departments cable
gram. A copy of the British vice con-
sul's acknowledgment is hereto APP
pended. The Nashville got under
way as on the previous day and NOV
ed close in to protect the water front.
During the afternoon several propo-
sitions We're made to Colonel Torres
by the CONSERVATIVES of the new gov
erEment, but he was finally persuaded
steamer Orinoco with all his troops
and return to Cartagena. The Oris;-,>5ss>
left incr dock with the troops-474 all
told--at 1855 p. M The Dixie arriv-
ed and anchored at 7:05 p. m. when
went on board and acquainted the
commanding officer with the situa-
ton. A portion of the marine battal-
ion was landed and the Nashville's
force withdrawn.
g.. On the evening of November 4,
Major William M. Black and Lieuten-
ant Mark Brooke, Corps of En-
gineers, U. S. army. came to Colon
from Culebra and volunteered their
sirvices, which We're accepted and they
rendered very efficient help on the
following day.
4. l beg to assure the department
that had no part whatever in the
negotiations that were carried on be-
tween General Torres and the repre-
sentatives of the provisional govern
ment; that / landed an armed force
only when the lives, of American citi-
zens We're threatened, and withdrew
this force as soon as there seemed to
be no grounds for further apprehen-
sion of injury to American lives on
property; that I re-1anded an armed
force because of the failure of Colonel
Torres to carry out his agreement to
withdraw and announced intention OF
returning and my attitude through
out was strictly netral as between the
two parties, my only purpose being to
protect the lives and property Of
American citizens and to preserve the
free and uninterrupted transit of the
isthmus. Very respectfully,
(Signed) John Hubbard, q
Commander, U. S. Navy, CommandingM
The Secretary of the Navy, Bureau on
Navigation, Navy Department.
Washington, D. c. I,
This plain official account of the7]
occurrences of November shows thatN
instead of there having been too rnuch&
provision by the American govern-N
ment for the maintenance of order andSe
the protection of lif and property on
the isthmus, the orders for the move
ment of American warships had been
too long delayed; so long, in fact that
there We're but forty-two marines and
sailors available to land and protect
the lives of American men and wom-
en-. 1t was only the GOODNESS and gall
lantry with which this little band Of
men wearing the American uniform
faced ten times their number of armed
foes, bent on carrying out the atrocious
threat of the Colombian commanders.
that prevented a murderouS cataStro-
phe. AT Panama, when the revolution
I.
Of war and no American troops or
sailors. AT Colon, Commander Hub
bard acted with entire impartiality
towards both sides, preventing any
movement whether by the Colombians
or the Panamans, which would tend
TO produce bloodshel. On November 8
he prevented body of the revolutions
lists from landing at Colon. Throughout
he behaved in a most creditable man
ner. In the New York Evening Post,
under date of Panama December 8,
there is an article from special cor
respondent, which sets forth in detail
the unbearable oppression of the Co
lombian government in Panama. In
this article is an interesting interview
with native Panaman, which runs
in part as follows:
Panama's Views.
"* We looked upon the building Of
the canal as matter OF life or death
to us. We wanted that because it
meant, with the United States in con-
troll of it, peace and prosperity for us.
President Marroquin appointed an
isthmian to be governor of Panama;
and we looked upon that as of happy
augury. Soon we heard that the ca
nal treaty was not likel-- to be approx
ed at Bogota; next we heard that our
isthmian governor, Obaldia, who, had
scarcely assumed power, was to be
superseded by soldier from Bogota.
q 53tf5i 80 ~
Notwithstanding all that Colombia
has drained us of in the way of reve-
nues, she did not bridge for us single
river, nor make a single roadway, nor
erect a single college where our chill
dren could be educated, nor do any
thing at all to advance our industries.
Well, when the new generals
came we seized them, arrested them,
and the town Of Panama was in joy
Not a protest was made, except the
shots fired from the Colombian gun
boat Bogota, which killed one Chinese
lying in his bed. We We're willing to
encounter the Colombian troops at
Colon and fight it out; but the com-
mander of the United States cruiser