The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-04-19
.COLOMBIA'S NEW POLICY
Reyes Sends a Minister to Propose a
Settlement.
THE STATUS PANAMA INVOLVED.
Colombia Willing to Submit Differences TO
the United States Supreme Court Por
Arbltation-The Independence Of Panama
Has Been Recognized BY the Great Powers
OF the World

Washington, d. c. (Special When
President Roosevelt returns from his
pursuit OF mountain game he will find in
Washington one of the ablest statesmen
Of South America waiting to take up
with him the subject of the differences
which have arsen between this country
and the Republic of Colombia through
the establishment Of the Republic Of
Panama
The independence of Panama has been
recognized by the great powers OF the
world and by every South American Re
public, with the exception Of Ecuador
and the mother country ry--Colomba Co
lumbia openly disputes the sovereignty
of the Republic OF Panama, still insists
on her rights in that stretch of territory
and will endeavor to establish these
rights through diplomacy or arbitration.
The Colombian statesman who has
been designated to carry on the diplo-
matte negotiations in Washington is
Senor Diego Mendoza, who has been ap-
pointed Minister from Colombia to the
United States, and sailed for this coun-
try on March 80. He is expected to ar
rive in Washington on April rs or 2S.
He will be the first minister who has
represented Colombia in the United
States since December, 1902, when Senor
Jose Vincente Concha, who presented his
l. Il, t,1
States in March, 1902, suddenly departed
after failing to come to an agreement
with Secretary Hay respecting the treaty
they were negotiating relative to the
construction OF the Panama Canal
After the departure OF Senor Concha
the negotiations for the treaty were car
ried on between Secretary Hay and
Senor Herran. the late Charge d'Affaires
to the Colombian Legation. and treaty
was signed and sent to the Colombian
Congress for ratification. Then came
the establishment of the Government of
Panama, after which Gen Rafael Reyes,
who is now the President of Colombia,
came to the White House to see Pres-
dent Roosevelt respecting the Panama
question. Learning that it was the un-
recognize the sovereignty of Panama and
treat with it as a sovereign state, Gen
eral Reyes went TO Paris and then TO
Colombia, where he was elected Pres
dent OF the country. He has now sue
ceeded in harmonizing the various polit-
cal factions of the republic and has de-
cided to send Senor Mendoza to Wash
ington with instructions to take up the
Panama question with the American
Government.
1t is understood that Senor Mendoza
will endeavor by negotiations to induce
this government to define Just what
rights Colombia possesses under the gen
eral treaty OF peace, navigation and conf
merce which this government signed in
1916 with New Granada, which in 1862
changed its name to the United States
of Colombia. Under this treaty, the
United States guaranteed the neutrality
of the Isthmus of Panama free transit
from sea to sea across the lsthmus, and
also the rights of sovereignty which
New Granada possessed over that terri
tory.
Colombia contends that under this
treaty she possesses the right of sover-
eighty over Panama, and that If 1t had
not been for the presentation of a mem
orandum from the American naval com
mander at Panama forbidding the Co
lombian Government TO attempt to put
down the revolution at Panama imme-
diately after it occurred she would have
been able to establish her sovereignty
over Panama by force OF arms. Colom-
bia is desirious of reaching an agree
ment with the United States for. set
tlement Of these questions. If this can
not be effected by diplomacy, she wishes
to have the matter submitted to the Su-
preme Court of the United States or any
other tribunal for settlement by arbtra-
ton, to be based entirely upon documen-
tary evidence, such as the treaty of 1876
and the orders and correspondence OF
the State Department from the time of
the establishment of Panama until after
the special mission of General Reyes
to Washington