El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-19

NAOABL LLdl MS Nl1ls 10 my GUILTY. VIII
be fruitful. for he will find that the
popular feeling which at present prevails
there as in most all South American
countries with regard TO the Un5ted
States, was. mainly caused by the man
ner IN which that traditional ally OF the
United States, COlOmbil. WIS treated IN
1903 and 1904 in connection with the sew
eranoe OF Panama and by there having
been so far no equitable settlement Of
Colenbia's claims growing cut OF that
conduct.
All good Colombians are heartily de-
sircus TINT sIIoA a feeling there. as else
where in South America, be aOpeased-
tine sooner the better; it IS never TOO
late to do right Colombia does not ask
that her contentious be accepted a. her
assertion. She has simply demanded for
the last eight years that her claims lie
aEibItIiated so that. whatever the result Of
that arbitration may be, confidence and
sincere friendship with the consequent
development Of increasing commercial re-
lations with the United States be re-
stored.
Conditions Have Changed"
Senior Ospina smiled when he was re-
minded Of that comment today.
''The situation has changed he said,
1T Is different now
During the week, It is reported. IN
timbtiOns came to the Colombian minis
ter that secretary Knox was bound on
q mission of pSclficatiOn of Latin-Amer-
lean troubles. To senior OsDina, who on
November 20 last, presented a third re-
quest from his government for arOitra
ton, and 10 which no reply had come,
the expected benefit Of the Knox trip
vanished His letter to acting secretary
Huntington Wilson, of the state depart
menf, expressing his personal views that
DIR. KnOx's trip would not be timely,
followed as q consequence.
Though senior Ospina in that letter
emphasized that he was speaking on his
own behalf ard without instruction from
his government. it is known that senior
Ospina came here on MAY 81 last with a
definite idea of the position Of his gov
eminent in the dispute OF eight years
standing and the attitude he was to as
sumo here
Senior Ospina declared in his letter TO
Mr.. Wilson that he had asked his gov
eminent TO mail him instructions. This,
as ne explained tOdav. would be a mat
ter Of u DAYS at least.
Thinks Government Is With Him
Senior Ospina apparently is confident
that his government viii reiteTate that
Mr.. KnOxs visit would be "inOppOr-
tune"
The thought of personal insult. which
position the state department IS reported
to have taken from the tenor of senior
0spinais communication. had not Oc
CURED to him. the Colombian minister
said today. He had intended only to
set forth the Impotence Of his govern
ment at not receiving what he cOnsld-
cred to be proper consideration oil ats
notes.
The contents OF the last note asking
for arbitHatiOn. presented in November,
never has been made public, but It =
understood the language IS no less IN
sistent than the references made by senior
OSpina In his letter TO Mr.. Wilson.
After the customary diplomatic pre-
amble, the minister's letter to the state
department yesterday says:
Speaking therefore in my own name
and without any knowledge OF the
views Of my government on the mat
ter I take the liberty Of suggesting
that there is perhaps reason for be
Heving that such a visit Of his excel
lency, the secretary Of state, may hap
pen to be considered as tnOppOrtune al
the present time, In view Of the tact
that Colombia still finds herself placed
by the United States in an exceptional
position, as the only member OF the
numerous family Of Independent ma
lions scattered over the face OF the
earth to which, despite its lnsiStent
demands. the United States refuses to
submit to arbitration questions refer
ring exclusively to the Interpretation
Of public treaties and the compliance
with obligations imposed on the uni
versaily accepted principles Of interna-
tional law on all civilized nations IN
their relations one with another.
1T Is meet to mention here that
when the ex-president OF the united
States. Mr.. Roosevelt. both when he
occupied that position and when, re-
turned to private life,N he has dealt IN
public with these matters, has AWAY
emphatically maintained the proprieIy
- 2 Ia .
decision Of an impartial tribunal Of
arbitration the decision of interlatioh-
al controversies involving such ques-
tons
Nearly three months have elapsed
since in compliance with the lnstruS-
lions Of my government, 1 reiterated
November 25) to the government OF
the United Sattes the demand Tor the
arbitration OF the existing conuOfeIs!,
and I see myself obliged to say Win
surprise and modification, which you
Will doubtless well understan that Up
to the present 1 have had not had the
honor Of receiving q reply. one or the
several grounds OF complaint put IoT-
ward II my memory serves me Wen, as
I have not the document at hand, oy
the government Of the UnlIed SIales
to the government OF Great Britain IN
1884,, when in such peremptory terms
it demanded the submission 70 arbitra-
tiOn OF the boundary question then
pending with Venezuela, was, as you
without reply for a considerable length
Of time an important note Of the state
department Let 1t be permitted 10
Colombia in her weakness respectfully
and candidly to express how hard IL Is
for her to see herself subjected TO 8
like treatment
no one who knows the unrest which
is being felt in my country at the de-
Law in the satisfactory disposal Of these
Questions viii fail TO look sympathe
fcaIlv upon the efforts which it Is
necessary for me to make that settle
ment be arrived at as rapidly as pos
The attitude Of the United States
with respect TO the partition of Pa
mama is said to have been unchanged
since 1905 when a three cornered treaty
between Panama, the United States and
Colombia was rejected BY the last
The policy of the United States has
been that any differences growing out
of the revolt of Panama from Colombia
should be settled by those two coun-
tries and to submit the present claims
of Colombia to arbitration would be to
admit that the United States shares
responsibility for the partition
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