The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-04
CORRESPONDENCE
SENT TO SENATE
President Acts on Recent Cor
man Resolution.
TROOPS LANDED TEN TIMES
Last Landing is the Only Made With
out Consent of coIombia-Let-
tiers Made More Than
1000 Pages.

! Washington, February 3.-The President
sent to the senate today mass of CORES
pondence in response to Senator Cor
mans resolution calling for the dates and
| circumstances under which the United
States used military forces IN the internal
affairs of New Gerenada or Colombia and
whether such uses of the military forces
were on the initiative of the United States
or by the request of New Grenada or Co.
lombia or in consequence of an official
representation or of either.
The resolution also called for copies of
the order by the navy department relat-
! ing to use such use of the military forces.
The circumstances under which forces
were landed are given by the President
in detail but orders by the war and navy
departments concerning the inner work.
ings of such departments and which con-
stitute a part of the records of the office
of the military and naval intelligence are
Withheld ON the grounds that the disclo-
sure of such confidential matters would
be Incompatible with the public interest
The President in his letter Of transmit
tai says:
President Roosevelt's Letter.
THE correspondence since November 16,
1903, referred to in the letter of the secre-
tary of the navy which has not already
been transmitted to the senate, has no
reference to matters covered by the reso-
luton, and deals with military move
ments and 1t is for that reason deemed
incompatible with the public interest to
make it public at this time
As a preface to the correspondence
Acting Secretary of State LOOMS writes
letter in which he says all the cores
pondence on record in the department Of
state is given, and that from this it APP
pears United States forces have been land
ed on the isthmus of Panama ten times
The first was in October, 1856, at the re-
guest of Panama authorities, the second
in September, 1868 with the sanction of
Panama authorities. Other landings were
as follows:
May 1861; June. 1862 March, 1865; in
1866, the month not given; in 1873, in 1885,
in November, 1901, and in September, 1902
The last mentioned landing was the only
one made without actual request from the
government of the isthmus. The secretary
in regard to this says:
Troops to Keep Open Transit.
Forces were landed to keep open the
transit, the government of the state be-
ing duly notified
Acting Secretary Loomis says further:
THE accompanying papers also show
as reply to the second request of the
senate resolution that the United States
has been asked by New Granada and Co.
lombia to execute by armed force the
guaranty of the neutrality of the isthmus.
or of the sovereignty of New Granada or
of Colombia, and the dates and circum-
stances of such requests are shown par
ticularly by the notes from the Granadian
legation of May. 1861; June 26. 1862; Sep
TENDER IS. 1862 and from the Colombian
legation of April and 4. 1885.
In reply to the third request of the
resolution 1t appears from the corre-
spondence that on one occasion United
States forces were landed solely on the
initiative of the United States, namely.
September. 1902 when the Panama author
tiles were duly notified of the proposed
landing.
1.-The correspondence further shows as
reply to the fourth request of the senate
resolution that the forces of the United
States have never been employed in the
civil affairs of New Granada or Colom-
bia otherwise than to protect United
States property and maintain order and
the freedom of the transit on the 18TH
milan territory under the provision of
the treaty of 1886"
Letters Thirty-six in Number.
The state department letters are thirty
six in number. The first is dated Octo-
Der 2, 1865, and the last October 16, 1902.
Secretary Moody sent the correspond
ence in the navy department relating to
the landing of marines the isthmus,
and says that to answer fully the senate
resolution, he would be compelled to in
clude everything from 1886 to 1886 This,
he said, would demand the examination
of 100 inadequately indexed volumes and
the selection and copying of proper mat
ter
He sent to the senate today the COM
plete correspondence in the files of the
department from 1887 to date, that cover
ing the period from March g. 1902 to No
vember 16, 1902, being contained In a SEN
ate document which Is included. He says
the correspondence since November Is,
1902, has been transmitted from time to
time as received. The letters from the
navy department alone make more than
1000 typewriter pages.