New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-04
no KEEP TRANSIT OPEN.
President Sends Correspondence sTI
Reglu to German Resolution

washington Feb. S-Tbe President sent 70
Tie Senate to-day a rlsss OF correspondent ID
response 90 Senator Germans resolution Gaining
Cor the dates and circumstances unoer WHICH
the United States used military forces IN E'e
snfernAl affairs OF New-Granada- or COLOMBIA
end Whistler such OF military forces were
OF the initiative OF the United States or by ohe
request OF Memoranda or Colombia or N con-
reouenc. Of any o-c,ai representation Of either.
TIE resolution also called for copies OK TIE or
ners by tho Navy Department relating TO such
Use OF military force.
The circumstances under which forces were
handed arc given by the President in detail brt
orders by the War and Navy departments con-
corning the inner workings o: such departments
which constitute a part OF tie RECORDS OF tHe
Offices OF military and naval intelhsence' are
withheld on the grounds that the disclosure OF
such confidential matters would be incompanDie
with the public Interest. The President In nIs
better OF transnittal says;
The correspondence since November 10 tso~,
referred TO in the letter OF the secretary o. tLs
Navv which has not already been transmitted
NO the Senate has no reference 10 Tie 80,
covered By the resolution. sno oehls WIN ILL.
sary movements, and IL Is Tor that reasoa
,ieer,eS incompatible with the public interest 10
make IL public az this time
Al n preface 20 the correspondence Acting
Secretary LOOMS writes a letter in which ne
ssys AL the correspondence on record IN 'iS
Department OF State is given, and thai nom
.his il appears United states forces nave Oee'
handed on the Isthmus OF Panama ten times.
srb. FRS; was IN October. 1856. at the request OF
panama authorities: the second IN September
$500 with the sanction OF Panama authorizes
.o.ber landings were as follows: Nay, loo4-
,June 1862. March. 1865; IN 1866. the month nos
given. in 1873 in 1855, in November. lSol' ana
An septenlber, 1902 The last mentioned LANDING
vas the only one made without actuaI request
from the government Of the isthmus The Sec
setary in regard to this says;
Forces were landed to keep open the transit
abe Governor OF the State being duly nouneo'
Acting Secretary Loorlis says further;
The accompanying papers also show as q
seply to the second request OF the senate tSs ~,
Srfion that the United States has been asked ~
New-Csranada and by Colombia TO execute py
armed force the guarantee Of the neutIallls %
the isthnus or of the sovereignty OF rGr
ada or Colombia and the dates ana ClIcuI IL
stances OF such requests. particularly oy lhe
I notes from the Granadan Legation o. NAY;
1853; June 20, 1862; September Is iSo<' anu
from the Colombian Legation Of April ana =
1885. ,-.,...,...
A. appears from the correspondence that on
one occasion United States forces were LANDED
solely on the initiative Of the United states.
namely, in September 1892. when the Panama
authorities were Gully notified OF The PROPOSED
handing.
The correspondence further shows, as fepAE
30 the fourth re uest of the Senate resolution.
that the forces OF the United States have never
been employed ga the internal affairs OF New
Granada or Colombia otherwise than TO protect
United States property and maintain order ana
the freedom OF the transit on the isthmian ter
i1tory under the provisions OF the treaty OF
1876
The State Departments letters are thirty-six
sn number The first is dated October :. 1876
and the last October Is. 1902.
Mf,oG
she Navy Department relating to landings Of
marines on the istilmus and said that TO answer
FULLY the Senate resolution he viii be compelled
10 include everything from 1876 10 1856. This
would demand the examination OF one hundred
snadequatel iudexed volumes and the selection
and copying o. proper matter. He sent 10 the
Senate to-day the complete correspondence in
the files OF the department from 1SS1 10 date,
that covering the period from March ;. 1902
60 November 16. 1902. being contained in Sem
Rte document which is included lie said The
correspondence since November 10 1902 had
been transmitted from tine TO time as received.
The letters from the Navy Department alone
make more than one thousand typewriter