The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-24
DEMOCRATS HOLD
PANAMA CAUCUS
Will Ask for All Documents in
the Matter
SEVERAL FAVOR TREATY
Bailey. Morgan and TIIImsn Oppose Its
Ratification and Sharply criticise
Members of Opposite
Views.

Washington, January 2S.-The demo-
cratic senators were in conference for al
most three hours today on the Panama
question and when they adjourned 1t was
announced by Senator German, chairman
of the caucus, that the conference had
agreed upon resolution to be presented
to the senate asking for all the GORE
spondence between the United States and
Colombia since the negotiations of the
Hay-Herran treaty.
The fact was brought out in the course
of the meeting that there are some doc
uments missing from the correspondence
as published, and the conclusion was
reached that a resolution calling for all
the missing papers would, If passed and
complied with by the executive, meet all
the requirements. The correspondence to
be called for also will cover the period of
the recent Panama revolt and all the Of
fetal writing on that episode.
The resolution will be presented Mon
day.
Directed to Make Inquiry.
The conference also decided upon a res
olution directing the senate committee
on foreign relations to make an inquiry
into the events connected with the Pan
anna revolution.
| Both propositions were agreed to by all
| the senators present. The resolution of
| Inquiry is so worded as to call for state
ment from the President as to whether all
the papers bearing on the situation have
been sent in, and If they have not been
communicated and the reason for failure
to communicate them is the fact that the
President believes to make them public
would be incompatible with the public
welfare, the President is requested to
send them to the senate in confidence to
be used in executive session only
The resolution asking for an inquiry by
the foreign relations committee Is dir
rected toward securing an investigation
into the Panama affair and its purpose
is to show whether or not the admnis-
tration had fore knowledge Of that af-
fair and in any way encouraged 1t.
Number of Speeches.
There were a number of speeches but
| they related in the main to the phrase
ology of the resolutions. There was,
however, more or less reference to the
merits of the canal treaty and in that
connection several senators expressed
thmselves as very anxious to secure the
canal. Some went so far as to say they
would vote for the treaty but all con-
demned the methods of the adminstra-
ton In connection with the Panama up
rising.
Senator Clay and others expressed them
| selves as very DESTROYS that an amicable
arrangement be arranged with Colon
bia and in this connection hope was ex-
pressed that the government of the Unit
ed States would see its way to accept
the proposition said to have been made
| by General Reyes, that the United States
should pay Colombia $4,000, 900.
Among those who spoke in opposition
to the treaty were Senators Bailey, Nor
gan and Tillman.
Some of the speakers who took the OPP
posing view sharply criticised those who
favored the treaty.
There was no effort to secure rule
for united action on the treaty and the
general opinion among senators is that
there will be no such effort unless posi-
tive information should be secured show
ing the completely of this government in
the Panama rebellion.