The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-04
BIG BUNCH OF LETTERS
President Sends Panama Cor
respondence to the Senate.

Washington. Feb. 4-The president
has sent to the senate a mass of CORE
spondence in response to Senator Cor
mans resolution calling for dates and
circumstances under which the United
States used military force in the in
ternal affairs of New Grenada or
Colombia. and whether such uses of
military forces were on the initiative
of the United States or by the request
of New Grenada or Colombia or in con-
sequence of official representation of
either. The resolution also called for
copies of the orders by the navy de-
partment relating to such use of mill
tary force.
The circumstances under which forces
were landed are given by the president
in detail. but orders by the war and
navy departments concerning the work
ings of such departments, and which
will constitute part of the records OF
the offices of the military and naval in
telligence, are withheld on the ground
that the disclosure of such confidential
matter would be incompatible with the
public interest. The president in his
letter of transmittal says:
1.-The correspondence since November
16, 1892, referred to in the letter of the
secretary of the navy which has not
already been transmitted to the senate
has no reference to the matters COW
cred by the resolutions and deals with
military government, and for that rea-
son it is deemed Incompatible with the
public interest to make it public at this
time.
LAS a preface to the correspondence
Acting Secretary of State LOOMS
writes a letter in which he says all the
CORRESPONDENCE on record in the de-
partment of state is given. and that
from this it appears U. S. forces have
been landed on the isthmus of Panama
ten times. The first was in October,
1856, at the request of Panama authors
ties; the second in September, 1860, with
the sanction of Panama authorities
landings follows
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 ISthmuss.
The secretary in regard to this says:
Forces were landed to keep open the
transit, the government of the state
being duly notified
Acting Secretary Loomis says fur
Their:
THE accompanying papers also show.
as reply to the second request of the
senate resolution that the United States
has been asked by New Grenada and
Colombia to execute by armed forces
the guaranty for the neutrality of the
Isthnus or of the sovereignty of New
Grenada or of Colombia and the dates
particularly by the notes from the
Grenadan legation of May, 1869, June
26, 1862, September IS, 1852, and from
the Colombian legation of April 2 and
4, 1865.
I'm reply to the third request of the
resolution it appears that on one occa-
sion United States forces were landed
solely on the initiative of the United
States-namely in September 1907
when the Panama authorities were
duly notified of the proposed landing.
1.-The correspondence further shows,
as a reply to the fourth request of the
senate resolution that forces of the
United States have never been employ
ed in the internal affairs of New Gre
NADIA or Colombia otherwise than to
protect United States property and
transit on the Isthmian territory under
the provisions of the treaty of 1885,
The state department letters are Sc in
number. The first is dated October 2,
1856, and the last October 16, 1909. Sec
rotary Moody sent the copy in the navy
department relating to landing of ma
rineS on the ISthmuS and says that to
answer fully the resolution he will be
compelled to include everything from
1876 to 1886. This he said, would de-
mand the examination of one hundred
inadequately indexed volumes and the
selection and copying of proper matter.
He sent to the senate today the cora
plete correspondence in the files of the
department from 1887 to date that COW
ering the period from March 3, 1902
to November Is, 1902 being contained
in a senate document which is included.
He says the correspondence since No
from time to time as received. The
letter from the navy department alone
makes more than 1000 typewriter
pages.