The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-05

and persistence in his intention to &C
cupy Colon, should General Tobal not
give him directions to the contrary.
On the return of the alcalde ct about
IL a. m. the Colombian troops marched
into Colon but did not assume the
threatening demcanor Of the previou,
day The American women and chill
dren again went on board the Marcom-
ania and the City of Washington, and
through the British vice-consul ! offered
protection to British subjects as directec
In the Departments cablegram. a copy
OF the British Yice-consuPs acknowledge.
nent IS hereto appended. The Mesh
Vile I got under way as on the pre-
Vlous day and moved close In TO protect
the water front. During the afternoon
several propositions were made to Col
onel Torres by the representatives Of
the new Government, and he was finall"
persuaded by them 10 embark on the
Royal Mail steamer Orinoco with ali his
troops and return to Cartagena The
Oronoco left her dock with the troops
"A all told--at 1885 p. M. The Dixie ar
rived aud anchorede at 1905 p. m. when
l went on board and acquainted the
commanding officer with the situation
landed and the Nashyille's force with
drawn.
6. On the evening Of November 4,
Maj. William Nj. Black Lieut. Mark
Brooke, Corps of Engineers, u. s. Army.
came to Colon from Culebra and volun-
teered their services, which were ac-
cepted, and they rendered very efficient
help on the following day.
4. bes TO assure the department that
| had no part whatever in the negotia-
lions that were carried on between
Colonel Torres and the representatives.
of the provisional government; that
landed an armed force only when the
lives OF American citizens were threat
ened. and withdrew this force rs soon
as there seemed to be no grounds tor
further apprehension of injury to Ameri
can lives or property; that l relanded
an armed force because of the failure
of Colonel Torres to carry out his
agreement to withdraw and announced
intention Of returning, and that my 1T
titude throughout was strictly neutral
as between the two parties, my only
purpose being to protect the lives and
property of American citizens and to
preserve the free and uninterrupted
transit Of the Isthmus.
Very respectfully.
(Signed) JOHN HUBBARD,
Commander, U. s. Navy, Commanding.
The Secretary OF the Navy
Bureau OF Navigation, Navy Depart
ment, Washington, ID. c.
This PLAN official account Of the occur
reEces of November 4, shows that, instead
nj ftpro ho ham fOn =,
by the American Government for the
maintenance of order and the protection
of life and property on the 1sthmus, tie
orGers for the movement OF the American
war ships had been too long delayed; so
long, i'll fact, that there were hut forty
TWO marines and sailors available to land
and protect the lives of American mer
end women. 1t was only the GOODNESS and
gallantry with which this little band OF
men wearing the American uniform faced
ten times their number Of armed foes.
bent on carrying out the atrocious threat
OF the Colombian commander, that pre-
vented a murderous catastrophe. At
Panama, when the revolution broke out,
there was no American man-of-war and no
American troops or sailors. At Colon,
Commander Hubbard acted with entire
impartiality towards both sides, prevent
ing any movement, whether by the CO.
lombians or the Panamaians, which would
tend to produce bloodshed. On Noveru
Der he prevented a body of the revolu-
tionists from landing at Colon. Through
out he behaved in the most creditabie
manner In the New York Evening Post,
under date Of Panama, December s, there
is an article from special correspond
ent, which sets forth in detail the I'M
bearable oppression of the Colombian gov
in Panama. In this article is ar
interesting interview with native Pan
amaian, which runs in part as follows:
We looked upon the building Of
the canal as a matter of life or death
to us. We wanted that because i
meant, with the United States in con-
troll of it, peace and prosperity for
us. President Marroquin appointed an
Isthmian to be governor Of Panama:
and we looked upon that as eff happy
augury. Soon we heard that the canal
treaty was not likely to be approved
at Pogota next we heard that our
Isthmian governor, Obaldia, who had
scarcely assumed power, was to
perseded by soldier from Bogota.
Notwithstanding all that Colombia
has drained us of in the way of Teve
nues, she did not bridge for us a single
river, nor make single roadway, nor
erect a single college where our CHI
dren could be educated, nor do anything
at all to advance our industries.
Well, when the new generals came we
seized them, arrested them, and the
town Of Panama was in JOY. Not pro
test was made, except the shots fired
from the Colombian gunboat Bogota,
which killed one Chinese lying in his
bed We We're willing to encounter the
Colombian troops at Colon and
it out; but the commander of the Uni
ted States cruiser Nashville forbade
Superintendent Shaler to allow the rall
road to transport troops for either
party. That is our story.
l call especial attention to the conclud-
ing portion of this interview wnlch states
the willingness Of the Panama people TO
fight the Colombian troops and the refusal
of Commander Hubbard to permit them
to use the railroad and therefore to get
into a position where the fight could
take place. 1t thus clearly appears that
there was no bloodshed on the Isthmus
was directly due-and only dGe-to the
propnt ard firm, enforcemcut hy tha TIpl-