Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-01
COLOMBIA BLUNDERED
GEN. REYES REPORTS ON HIS MIS-
SION TO, THIS COUNTRY.
Admits That the Hay-Herran Treaty
Minister Had Asked.

l kdlttc0 du AalCiSSeiAi6 iCPoil " liao 6OSOih"
| ment regarding his mission to this coun-
| try after the loss of the isthmus by Co
| lombia. 1t will be recalled that General
Reyes, then commander-in-chief of the CO.
| lombian army, was sent to this country to
do what he could to modify the action of
our government In regard to Colombian in
! terests. His mission was fruitless and
after short stay in Washington he re-
| turned in December last to Colombia.
Shortly after his zarfival he was elected
president of Colombias to succeed President
| Marroquin, under whose administration the
| Hay-Herran treaty was killed and the ne
gotiations between Colombia and the United
| States were broken off.
President Reyes has submitted to his gov
| eminent an extended report and the official
| copies which reached this country by the
I last mail contain an interesting summary
! of the causes that compelled the failure of
| his mission and also severe arraignment
| of the short-sightedness that led to the mis-
| fortunes which befell Colombia after the
| negotia tons ternafna ted.
| Following are parts of the report as given
! by todays New York Tribune:
! No Agreement With Company.
'It was undoubtedly a very serious mis-
! take on our part that we put ourselves in
| the position of soliciting of the United
| States government the ratification Of a
| treaty for the construction of the Panama
| canal when we ought to have carefully
| awaited from that government any propo-
| sition of that kind.
I'VE made still grayer mistake when,
without having come to any previous agree
ment with the canal company as to the
| conditions under which 1t might be au-
| thoriZed to transfer to the United States
government the concessions which it held
| from Colombia, we implicitly authorized It
without contract or agreement in defini-
ton of our rights and it's obligations to
| join its interests with those of the United
States to convert it into an ally of that
powerful nation against Colombia, the
weakest party in the negotiations.
I'm the protocol presented by the Co
lombian minister in Washington to the
Secretary of State which served as basis
for the Hay-Herran treaty. it was clearly
set forth in article 1. as follows: The Co
lombian government authorized the new
Panama Canal Company to sell and trans
| fer to the United States it's rights, privi-
leges, properties and concessions, together
with the Panama railroad and all stock
holdings in the said company :
Starting from that official declaration the
American government had a perfect right
to believe that the authority which our
government gave to the French company
was complete and irreyocable when in
reality no agreement had been completed to
that end.
Neglect to Demand Indemnity.
toned was of immense Importance In
strict right Colombia might have demand
ed from the French company an indemnity
for the loss occasioned by the permission
to transfer to the United States it's rights,
concessions, privileges and properties but
we let pass the opportunity of demanding
and arranging such an indemnity; and
when we wished to- claim it, and did in eff
feet claim it, our demand was i'll received
not only by the company but by the gov
eminent of the United States, and in the
daily press of the highest character, such
/ as the Evening Post of New York which
so justly defended our cause when the
isthmus was taken. our claim was qualified
as unlawful extortion (blackmaiD. The
French company, freed from all obligation
with our government by the terms Of the
protocol above mentioned, united it's lot
with the interests OF the American govern
ment. and lent it's best assistance to secure
the rapid approval Of the Hay-Herran
treaty.
Generosity of the United States.
I'VE must also admit that the United
States government had granted to US by
way of compensation in the Hay-Herran
treaty much more than we had asked in
the memorandum Of our minister in Wash
ington which served as basis for that
treaty. Comparing these two documents.
the government of the United States might
well point to the GENEROSITY of its dealings
with Colombia and OBTAIN the public opin-
ion of the civilized world. and especially
that of the United States and France, in
considering as an, indisputable fact that
the obstinacy OF our government was the
only real obstacle to the construction of
the canal by the Tinted States. which was
the only agency capable of bringing to a
completion SO cqlossat and gigantic work.
Benefits From the Canal.
Violently desbdiled. of the isthmus. and
although We have, finally lost our SOW
ereignty there, we shall always enjoy, al
though only in part, the benefits which
would have been immense but for this pain
full loss. I consider that the Colombian
government should take care that the re-
gions neighboring upon the canal should
not be deprived of its advantages. The de-
partments OF Magdalena. Bolivar and Cau-
ca especially are entitled to better their
economic condition when the canal work
shall be recommended. and the production
of their industry shall be offered to that
advantageous market, thereby opening a
new field of activity and labor; but 1t is to
our greatest interest and our duty that we
direct our attention in future to struggling
to obtain for our commerce and our navy
forever the advantages conceded to them
in the Hay-Herran treaty.
The Cost Of Mistakes.
ut is highly humiliating for our national
patriotism to- see the extremes to which we