The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-11-18
WARNS SOUTHERN REPUBLICS,
CLAIMED By ALLIES THAT NEU.
TiALITY WAS VIOLATED.
United States Notified of Alleged
Breach of Neutrality by Ecuador
and COlOmbia-Chargcd That This
Was Reason for British Naval De-
feat.

Washington, Nov. 2.-Ecuador and
Colombia have Jecn warned en-
phatically by Great Britain and
France that the allies will not coun-
tenance further Violations Of neutral
ity by these South American States.
After making strong representa-
tiOns through the British and French
ministers at Quito and Bogota, the
British and French governments COM
municated with the United Sttaes i'm
view Of possible complications that
might arise between Colombia and
Ecuador and the European belliger-
cnts.
Two notes were presented to Secrc-
tary Bryan by Sir Cecil Spring Rice,
the British ambassador, and Jules
JueSserand, the French ambassador
respectively, calling attention to rep
reservations made to Colombia and
Ecuador. The notes do not request
that the United States take any ac-
ton, merely advising the Washington
government of the correspondence
with the South American States in
line with the customary policy of
keeping the United States informed
Of matters Of vital consequence pass
ing between Europe and countries of
this hemisphere.
The notes expressed the hope that
Ecuador and Colombia would be i'm
pressed with the value of maintaining
strict neutrality in which the United
States has given SO signal an example.
High officials Of the Washington
government said the notes were
phrascd SO as not to require a reply
and there is no implied obligation in
them requiring discussions between
this government and Ecuador and Co.
lombia. Both the ministers from Co.
lombia and Ecuador, however, who
happened to be at the State depart
ment today, volunteered denials Of the
alleged violations of neutrality.
In just what the infractions con-
sisted has not been made public, but
ut the French embassy it was said
positive proof was in the hands Of the
French government.
The British government charged
that tie Galapagos islands, off the
coast Of Ecuador, have been used
practically as n coaling base for Ger
man ships and that wireless stations
been giving German cruisers news Of
the whereabouts of the British fleet
In fact, responsibility for the de-
feat Of the British cruisers in the bat
tie off the Chilean coast is laid by
British officials to some extent at the
doors of Ecuador and Colombia.
British officials say no complaint
has been made against Chile, Great
Britain being satisfied of that coun-
try's neutrality.
In this connection Eduardo SuareZ
the Chilean ambassador, made public
tonight a cablcgram from Manuel Sa-
linas, minister Of foreign affairs at
Santiago, giving the minister's reply
in the senate to published rumors OF
assistance to German ships from
Chileans. The foreign minister said
Chile was suppressing all wireless in
stalIations and that the government
had adopted various measures to
prevent the belligerents from making
use of ports or territorial waters as
bases Of naval operations
One significant point in the cable
gram was that the foreign minister
spoke of "cndeavoring to come to
some arrangement on the point with
other American countries" Some here
believe that Chile may take the initia-
tive in having South American coun-
tries adopt uniform regulation on
the wireless question.