The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-05

transportation of the troops and that they would leave on the 8: m: train on the following day. I immediately went to see the general superintendent. and learned that 1t had just been announced that a provisional government had been estab- lished at Panama-that General Amaya four officers. who had gone to Panama In the morning, had been seized and were held as prisoners; that they had an or. ganized force of 1,5Oo troops and wished the Government troops in Colon to be sent over This declined to permit, and yer bally prohibited the general super ntend- ent from giving transportation to the "It being then late ] nthe evening, I sent early in the morning of November 4 written notification to the general super intendent of the Panama Railroad. to the prefect of Colon. and to the officer left in command of the Colombian troops. later ascertained to be Colonel Torres, that I had prohibited the transportation of serve the free and uninterrupted trarsit of the Isthmus. Copies of these letters are hereto appended; also copy of my no- tification to the consul. Except to few people, nothing was known in Colon or the proceedings in Panama until the ar rival of the train at 1O:45 on the morning of the 4th. Some propositions were l was later told made to 60 onei mel TOTS GsrI1 Dy ment at Colon. with a view to inducing him to reembark in the Cartegena and re- turn to the port Of Cartegena. ana 1t was in answer to this proposition that Co o'ohel Torres made the threat and took the ac- ton reported in my letter No. 96 Of No- vember 5. 1903. The Cartegen~ left the port just after the threat was mede and | did not deem it expedient to attempt to detain her, as such action would certainly, in the then state of affairs: have prccipi- tated a conflict on shore which was not prepared to meet. It is my understanding that she returned to Cartegena. After the withdrawal of the Colombian troops on the evening of November 4, and the re- turn of the Nashville's force on board, no disturbance on shore, and the night passed quietly. On the morning of the 9th I discovered that the commander of the Colombian troops had not withdrawn so far from the town as he had agreed, but was occupying buildings near the out skirts of the town. l Immediately in- he had some trivial excuse for not carry ing out his agreement, and also that il was his ictentlon to occupy Colon again on the arrival of the alcalde due at l0:E by the alcalde that he. Colonel Torres should withdraw. That General Toba had declined to give any instructions was cognizant of. and the situation al once became quite as serious as on thC day previous. I immediately landed ar armed force, .reoccupied the same build ing; also landed two 1-pounders anG mounted them on platform cars behind protection of cotton bales, and then 1T company with the United States consu had an interview with Colonel Torres. 1T the course of which informed him that I had relanded my men because he h1C not kept his agreement; that 1 had nc interest in the affairs of either party: that my attitude was strictly neutral: that tho troops of neither side s~ould be trans. ported; that my sole purpose in landing was to protect the lives and property oi American citizens if threatened, as they
 had been threatened. and to maintain the
 free and uninterrupted transit If the th- mus. and that purpose 1 should maintain
 by force if necessary. also strongly ad-
 vised that in the interests of peace. and
 to prevent the possibility of conflict that could not but be regrettab'e he shou d carry out his agreement of the previous evening and withdraw to Monkey Htll.
 Colonel Torres's only reply was that 1t was unhealthy at Monkey Hill a re!tera- tion of his love of Americans. and persis-
 tence in his intention to occupy Colon, should General Tobal not give him direc-
 uons to che crntrary
 ''On the return of the alcalde at about Il a. m. the CDlomb. an troops mar he'd into Colon, but did not assume the threatening demeanor of the previous day
 The American women and children aaliu
 went on board the Marcomania ana City
 of Washington, and through the British