The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-04

States citizen in the place. and my adj
vice and action were requested.
/ advised that all the United States
citizens should take refuge in the shed
of the Panama Railroad Company. a
stone building susceptible OF being put
into good state for defense. and that
would Immediately land such body OF
men. with extra arms for arming the
citizens. as the complement of the ship
would permit This was agreed to. and
I Immediately returned on board. arriv-
ing at 1:15 p. m. The order for land
ing was Immediately given. and a.
1870 D. m. the boats left the ship with
a party OF forty-two men under the
command Of Lieut.. Comdr. H NJ. Witzel,
with Midshipman J. 2. Jackson as sec
ond in command. Time being pressing.
l gave verbal orders to Mr. Witzel to
take the building above referred to, TO
put II into the best state of defense
possible, and protect the lives Of the
citizens assembled there-not firing I'M
less fired upon.
The women and children took refuge
on the German steamer Marcomania
and Panama Railroad steamer City OF
Washington. both ready to haul out
from dock IL necessary. The Nashville
along the water front, close in, and
ready to use either smalI-arm or shrap-
mel fire:
The Colombians surrounded the build
ing Of the railroad company almost inn
mediately after we had taken possess
sion. and for aJOut one and half hours
their attitude was most threatening, it
being seemingly their purpose TO pro-
woke an attack. Happily. our men were
cool and steady. ard while the tension
was very great no shot was fired.
At about 3:15 p. m. Colonel Torres
came into the building for an interview
and expressed himself as most friendly
to Americans, claiming that the whole
affair was a misapprehension and that
he would like TO send the alcalde Of
Colon TO Panama TO see General Tobal
and have him direct the discontinuance
of the show of force. A special train
was furnished and safe conduct guaran-
teed.
At about $50 p m. Colonel Torres
made the proposition of withdrawing
his troops to Monkey Hill, If 1 would
withdraw the Nashville's force and
leave the town in possession of the pO-
lice until te return of the alcalde on
the morning of the 5th. After an in
terview with the United States consul
! and Colonel Shaler as TO the probable
ity OF good faith in the matter, 1 decid-
ed to accept the proposition and brought
my men on board, the disparity in num-
bers between my force and that Of the
Colombians. nearly ten to one, making
me DESTROYS u avoiding a conflict Sc
long as the object in view, the protec-
ton OF American citizens, was not i'm
periled.
| am positive that the determined at
titude of our men, their coolness and
evident intention of standing their
ground, had most saIutary and de-
cisive effect on the immediate situation.
and was the initial step in the ultimate
| abandoning OF Colon by these troops and
their return. to Cartagena the follow
ing day. Lieutenant Commander witzel
/ is entitled TO much praise for his ad-
mirable work in command on the spot.
! feel that 1 can not sufficiently strong
1 ~ represent to the department the
! grossness Of this outrage and the insult
TO our dignity, even apart from the say
| agery of the threat
ATTITUDE NEUTRAL.
The message then quotes a second let
/ ter from Commander Hubbard. under
Z N1NN VI ~NONNhAbNi o WHICH sets 1OILl
the facts more in detail. In this letter is
given an account of his refusal to per
/ nit the transportation of Colombian
I troops by railroad across the isthmus
after the proclamation of the new Re
public of Panama on November 3. and
/ the departure for Cartagena Of the Co
lombian warship Cartagena. after the
course of events reported in his former
communication.
/ He describes a conversation with Gen
! eral Torres In which Commander Hub
bard enunciates the strict neutrality OF
his attitude. and that the troops OF
neither side could be transported across
the isthmus. The letter concludes:
] beg TO assure the department
| that l had no part whatever in the
/ negotiations that We're carried on be-
/ tween Colonel Torres and the repre-
| sentatives of the provisional govern
ment: that ] landed an armed force
only when the lives OF American cit
J liens were threatened, and withdrew
/ this force as soon as there seemed to
] be no grounds for further apprehen-
sion of injury to American lives or
! property: that / relanded an armed
force because of the failure Of Col
/ Onel Torres to carry out his agree
! ment TO withdraw and announced in
! tention Of returning. and that my at
/ titude throughout was strictly neu-
trail as between the two parties. my
only purpose being to project the
| lives and property OF American citi-
ZenS and to preserve the free and
uninterrupted transit of the isthmus