The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-17

| OF course, plenty Oc Nancy was essen
tial. nut there would be as much as was
required when the Government officers
We're seized. The advances made to- the
enterprise were comparatively small. Some
few leaders had 10 be bribed. Huertas
| admits freely that he made a demand for
money; but he ~ SAYS sIi N ne b,s % mnp al T fb,y
was due them up TO date by the Colon
bian Government, which was several
months in arrears in payment.
1t is a fact that he received n large
| sum; that he paid every dollar due 10 his
men, and that he promptly restored the
balance 10 the Provisional Government;
ARRANGEMENTS We're made to create the
Government or the day set apart for
| elections in the United States. The pian
seemed perfect. but it was very nearly,
nipped in the bud. So many persons hau
been taken into the secret of the up
rising that the news had reached the
mainland OF Colombia.
FINE STRATEGY.
Huertas was informed thst some gen.
eral officers were coming from Cartagera,
presumably for an inspection. but he was
convinced that they intended to reiieEc
him. What he did not know was that
they would bring with them and land IN
Colon nearly G0 troops. Strategy was re-
CURED to have the troops lett on the
north shore, and TO induce the Generals
to cross the lsthmus. When they reached
the Panama barracks they were made
prisoners. Huertas found in their posses
sion orders for the arrest of all OF MS
officers and he is eonvlnced nat whoie-
sale executions were intended.
BY a lucky coincidence a United states
cruiser had just arrived in Colon ana
another warship. crowded with marines.
was due there that day. though she was
delayed. The Colonel left in charge of the
troops on the north shore threatened to
burn down Colon unless his superiors were
reason for landing American marines to
guard the property OF citizens. The Off
Gals of the newly proclaimed republic used
diplomacy and cash and the newly arrived
troops were shipped back TO COLOMBIA
without bloodshed.
HuertaS was commended on every side
on the isthmus for the part that he had
taken. but much work remained for him
to do. There We're many towns along the
line of the railroad TO be reached and
organized, Indians who had been friendly
with Colombia. unrestricted by any special
form of government. to be won over. and
preparations to be made for an expected
attack on the frontier. There were plenty
of munitions of wal and Huertas made
his plans for a hard campaign. His great
est anxiety was to fight and. 1t was hard
to keep him in the capital when a hostile
force gathered on the Atrato, but he lis
tened to reason.
SMILING But DETERMINED.
His quiet manner and the smile that
hovers nominally about his mouth give lit
tie indication of his determination. l was
seated BY his desk one u6N al ABOUT noon
questioning him about some Indian chiefs
then in the city who had come to protest
against the selection made of 4 head chief.
On their arrival they had been split into
three factions that would have nothing to
do with one another. He had dined them
and wined them and had healed all their
differences. He was the one man I'm the
republic who could have accomplished this
result.
While the Indians We're under discussion
a Lieurenart Cnion.i hcd been ushered into
the room. holding in his hand an order to
start with some men for Yaviso on a boat
leaving at ! O'Clock.
Il cannot be ready TO leave with the
men In one hour" eXpostulated the OFF,
Ger.
General Huertas's voice sank to a tone
even lower than habitual as he replied:
Then I shall detail an officer who can
get there. and | shall have You brought
here in irons at l o'clock for court-mar-
tial."
The Lieutenant Colonel looked down into
the Generals eyes, then made a hasty
apology and hurried away.
Huertas has n profound admiration for
Americans and he expresses sincere regret
that he cannot understand English. He
does not intend to lave his officers remain
In ignorance of the language, and after
the independence of Panama was pro-
claimed be sent 10 the United States for
army manuals and he had an English
class started in the barracks for the bene-
fit of the officers. Some Of our navy men
who looked in one day were amused to
see a lot of officers struggling with these
sentences on the blackboard: