Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-22


Colombia. it continues, will maintain
her International policy.
Voluntary on Part Of Colombia.
The only concern of the State Depart
ment upon being informed through the
Associated Press of the recall of the CO.
lombian minister was that it should be
thoroughly understood that the depart
ment had not directly or indirectly sug-
gested this course, which consequently
appears to have been purely voluntary on
the part of the Colombian government.
The department has all along regarded
Minister Ospina's utterances as purely
personal. thereby accepting his own
definition of his note. and as ne had been
invited to express his opinion as to the
expediency OF Secretary Knox's visit,
there. could be-no-. official ground for
tofnpI Iad az oh the part The dspsrt-
other matter with the Colombian gov
ernment. The United States. however,
had nothing to do with any disciplinary
measures that the Bogota foreign Office
adopted.
1t is not expected that Minister
Ospina's recall will in any way affect
the status of MIR. Du Bois. the American
minister to Colombia, who is said to
have established. very cordial and satis-
factory relations with the Colombians.
- No ohfcial Notice.
Just low the State Department will be
notified officially Of Gen. Ospinas recall
is a matter of conjecture. 1t Is scarcely
expected that the minister will be put in
the embarrassing position of being re-
quired to present to the. State Depart
ment his own letters of recall In the
ordinary course he would quietly with
draw from Washington. perhaps going to
Europe, if he did not feel bound to return
to Colombia, and thus permit his sue
cessor, whoever he may be, to present his
official letters of recall in connection with
his own credentials as Colombian minis
ter Meanwhile United States Minister
Du Bois is expected to advise the depart
ment officially what has taken place in
cablegram from Bogota.
A normal outcome Of the present
situation would be the extension by
the Colombian government of a formal
invitation to Secretary Knox to visit
Cartagena, according to the terms of
the original itinerary of the Secretary's 3
Central and South American tour. In
that case the invitation would be
transmitted through Minister Du Bois.
While the delay by adverse weather Of
Secretary knox's departure from Flor
ida on the cruiser Washington will en-
able him to receive notice before ne
sails of this last development in the
Colombian situation, 1t is regarded as
doubtful whether he will feel able now
to again change his plans SO as to ac-
cept such an invitation to visit Colom-
bia. 1t is reasonably certain that he
will not do SO unless there is every
assurance that his arrival in Cartagena
would not lead to an unpleasant in
cident
Predecessor Left Abruptly.
1t is now recalled that Gen. Ospina's
predecessor as Colombian minister to
Washington, Senior Borda, terminated his
official relations here in 1911 very abb
ruptly. in what was believed to be a
pique against the State Department be-
cause of its attitude regarding certain
questions connected with the customs
laws, which he thought bore unfairly
upon Colombian trade. 1t has been felt
that the recent Colombian representatives
here had been Oversensiuve and inclined
to suspect affronts--when none was in
tended. ~ =
1t has been suggested that Gen. Ospina,
who must have calculated the possible
result of his letter to the State Depart
ment, is relying upon the support Of
large element among the Colombian peo-
PIE 10 support MIN IN MS issue with the
government. If that be true,
the situation undoubtedly contains ele-
ments of danger and, possibilities of an
revolution directed against the
government of President Restropo, who.
by the way, somewhat cynically Calls
himself president by chance" indicating
that he inherited the presidential Office as
g. result of the involuntary and unexpect.
ed abdication of President Reyes.
Here Less Than Year.
Gen. Pedro Mel Ospina has served as
the diplomatic representative of Colom-
bia at this capital less than a year, hav-,
ing been officially received by the Presi-
dent May 81. 1911. He was accompanied
to washington by Sonora Ospina and es-
tablished the legation Office in the On
tario apartment house. He Is a man OF
ability and experience in political affairs
and was regarded as one of the leading
men of his country.
Before assuming his present Office he
had visited the United States in 1903 as
member of the Colombian peace commits
sion The other members of that COM
mission were Gen. Reyes and SenOr Caba-
lero. Gen. Ospina afterward represented
the state of Antioquia in the senate of
Colombia His record also includes dis
tinguished military service At one time
he commanded the Colombian army.
Since his official residence ina this city he
= Continued on ThirteentR Pags.)