The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-20
COLOMBIA is "RILED. -

The letter written by the Colombian
Minister to our State Department sug.
gestng that, while Secretary Knox Wis
its the South American Republics, a
visit from him to Colombia would be
inopportune, is undoubtedly gross
breach of international etiquette, and
as such the United States is bound to
resent it, The statement in the letter
personal opinions Of the Minister him
self, and not official, do not by any
means mitigate the seriousness of the
o[1ense; for it it inconceivable that he
should write such letter without con
nivance and permission from his "ov-
crnment; but that letter may serve to
bring the full trouble into the bright
limcligbt Of diplomatic investigation
and action.
The resentment al the action of the
United States under President Roose-
welt on the occasion of the secession
Of Panama from the United States of
Colombia, is the cause of the trouble
Ii seemed for long time, as though
the Indignation Of Colombia might
shoulder. and that gradually the whole
matter would be forgotten, But when
President Roosevelt was in California
last year, he made a speech at Berke-
ley, where be openly and practically
said that while Congress was deliber'
atinc over the matter Of the canal
zone, ne, inpatient of delay, took ii. -
And he went on to moralize upon the
beautiful effects Of simply taking
things rather than waiting for them
TO come In natural way. OF to get
them through the proper sources of ne
gotlatiou or purchase.
Soon after the declaration quoted, a
fervent protest was made by Colombia
against the seizure so openly pro
claimed where Roosevelt's S speech was
referred to, and the United States was
called upon in this Colombian appeal
TO submit the matter to The Hague trl-
bunal, and in so far as reparatIon was
found due for the seizure, the United
States should pay the bill OF damages.
No notice was taken Of this by the
United States Government, and no no.
tice was taken. either of Col. Roose-
velt' piratical declaration, Undoubt-
cdly, that declara tIon left much TO be
desired from the Colombian standpoint,
and since the United States has neither
repudiated that declaration nor taken
any steps 10 meet Colombia s views
upon this matter, IL is quite natural
that the resentment of Colombia
should be both vigorous and warm:
Still it was exceedingly indiscreet
for the Colombian Minister TO pen such
letter to our state Department. 1T Is
quite true that American publiclsts
have written vigorous statements show
ing the position declared by Col. Roose-
welt to be internationally wrong in
that Panama matter, and tracing the
loss Of Panama to Colombia directly to
our backing Of Panama aud our refu.
sal to let the Colombian troops enter
Panama territory for the purpose Of
reducing the seeding province to sub
mission We made ourselves, on this
view of the case an active ally and aid
| iu Panama IN her act Of secession from
| Colombia, precisely as If Great Brit.
ain and France had iutcrveued in he.
| half of the seeding States Of this
Union during the War OF the Rebel.
| lion.
As matter of fact. that was not
the situation But Col. Roosevelt s pi-
ratical talk gave that color 10 it,, aud
gave Colombia q concrete statement Of
| grievance which she had mostly lacked
| hitherto. But the letter of the Colon
| biau Minister was doubtless scquiesced
in bv his Government, and the United
states will be quite instined IN handing
| him his passports and breaking off all
| official relations with the United States
of Colombia, unless the letter is with
drawn and due apologies made, But,
that will not settle the dispute. The
United States will he obliged TO pre-
sent its case 70 the public, at least,
and TO show the facts involved. And
so far as that is concerned, the United
States has a clean bin OF health In
this whole matter, in our Judgment,
but not at all on the lines laid down by
Col. Roosevelt. Panama was chiefly
! concerned in tho construction of the