The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-07-28
PANAMA IN DANCER
We May Intervene to Get a
Polite Answer.
AMERICANS WERE MALTREATED
Life Must Be Protected, Washing
ton Insists, or Troops Will See
to Proper Order as a
Last Resort.
AMERICANS WERE MALTREATED

Washington, July 27.-Panama' atti-
tude in failing to take proper no ce OF
the maltreatment of American itizens
within her borders during the past
two years and half has irritated the
United States government to the point
of insisting upon the prompt settle
ment of these cases to the satisfaction
of the state department.
Apparently reliable testimony show
ing unprovoked assaults and rough
treatment of American citizens, includ-
ing naval officers. during the past two
years and half has been presented to
the Panama government with view
to obtaining proper apology, punish
ment of the offenders, compensation
for injury or death and police reform,
but all to DO purpose. Only the most
unsatisfactory replies have been re-
ceived from Panama.
The attitude of the government of
the isthmian republic is inexplicable
to the state department officials, who
have asked nothing more than simple
| justice shall be meted out with proper
reparation for the families of those
who have suffered. Minister Herbert
G. Squiers has been instructed to urge
insistently to satisfy settlement Of
these cases.
While the United States government
| has no idea, so far as can be learned,
of intervening in Panama affairs with
a view to maintaining order, yet it
! c,nrrly has the right to do so should
Panama fail to maintain public order
in the cities of Panama and Colon and
in the territories and harbors adjacent
thereto. This right is given by article
| seven of the treaty of 1903.
The disposition of this government is
to give Panama every opportunity to
prove itself equal to the task, of pro-
tecting life and property within its
borders and intervention would be re-
sorted to only as last resort.
On four different occasions Ameri-
cans have suffered at the hands of
PanamanianS, and in none of these
cases has this government been able
to obtain any satisfaction from Pana-
ma. one instance cited was of an as
sault on W. B. Warner, an employee
of the iSthmian canal commission
who. it is alleged, was brutally club
bed and otherwise severely handled by
the Colon police on Dec. %, 1906.
,. Several American officers of the
cruiser Columbia. in uniform. were ar
rested in Colon on June l, 1906, with
out sufficient cause, it is alleged. They
We're roughly handled and clubbed
and then thrown into jail, where they
were left for several hours without
!, proper medical attention.
The attack, it is said, was unpro
voked No steps have been taken by
Panama to comply with demand tina
\ \ an indemnity be paid to the officers
Panama seemingly having disclaimet
all blame in the matter.
BOatswains' Mate Charles Rand wa:
killed and Joseph Cieslik, sailor
> both of the cruiser Buffalo, was in
? jured as the result Of a fight with th'
Panama police on Sept. 2S 1908. From
the evidence in this case there appear
J. to be no doubt, according to the stat
department, that the two men wer
O brutally treated by the police, VIII
dubbed, handcuffed and dragged Ran,
n through the streets, badly wounded.
e 1t is further alleged that while b
|. was in police custody Rand was a.
II lowed to lie suffering and bleeding il
the jail for more than an hour withou
e medical attention. Similar treatmen
d is said to have been given Cleslik.
e Last May Charles M. Abbott, white
.e and John Williams, cOlored, bot
Is Americans, were killed in riot, tn
r. former by a rock supposed to hav
" been thrown by rioter and the latte
q. by rifle shot supposed to have bee
?: fired by a member Of the Colon polio
:" force. Neither of these men, it
ID said, appears to have taken any pal
* in the disturbance.