The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-04

parties, my only purpose being to pro-
tect the lives and property of Ameri-
can citizens and to preserve the free
and uninterrupted transit of the is
thmus. Very respectfully,
(Signed) JOHN HUBBARD.
Commander, U. S. Navy, Command
ing.
''The Secretary of the Navy, Bureau of
Navigation, Navy Department, Wash
ington, D. c.
This plain official account of the &C.
currences ofNovember4, shows that, in
stead Of there having been too much
provision by the American government
for the maintenance of order and the
protection of life and property on tho
isthmus, the orders for the movement
of the American war ships had been
too long delayed; so long, in fact, that
there We're but AZ marines and sailors
available to land and protect the lives
of American men and 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 prevented
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
impartialfty towards both sides, pre-
venting any movement, whether by the
Colombians or the Panamans, which
would tend to produce bloodShed. On
November he prevented a body of the
revolutionistS from landing to Colon.
Throughout he behaved in the most
creditable manner In the New York
Evening Post, under date of Panama,
December S, there is an article from
special correspondent, which sets forth
in detail the unbearable oppression OF
the Colombian government in Panama.
In this article is an interesting inter
view with a native Panaman, 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 it meant,
peace and prosperity for US. President
Morroquin appointed an 1sthmian to be
that as of happy augury. Soon we heard
that the canal treaty was not likely to
be approved, at Bogota; next we heard
that our Isthmian governor, Obaldia. who
superseded BY a soldier from. Bogota..
Notwithstanding all that Colombia has
drained US of in the way of revenues, she
gle college where our children could pe
sducated nor do anythi.g at W al to S ed
the new generals came we seized them.
arrested them and the town of Panama
cept the shots fred from the Colombian
gunboat Bogota. which killed one Chinese
counter the Colombian troops at Colon
and fight it out, but the commander. of
the United States cruiser Nashville for
babe Superintendent Shaler to allow tine
railroad to transport troops for other
party. This is our story
Were Willing to Fight.
1 call especial attention to the corr
GLIDING portion of this interview which
states the willingness of the Panama
people to fight the Colombian troops
and the refusal of Commander Hub
bard to permit them to use the rail-
road and therefore to get into a posi-
ton where the fight could take place.
1t thus clearly appears that the fact
that there was no bloodshed on the is
thmus was directly due-and only due
to the prompt and firm enforcement
by the United States of its traditional
policy During the past 40 years revo-
buttons and attempts at revolution have
succeeded one another with monoton-
Gus regularity on the isthmus, and
again and again United States sailors
and marines have been landed as they
were landed in this instance and under
(Contiu1,ed on Pa0o Tbraa