The Alaska daily empire., 1914-07-13
REPUBLICAN DEFENDS
 COLOMBIAN TREATY

James T. Du Bois, who was connect ed with the State Department during the Roosevelt administration and was minister to Colombia during the Taft administration, recently issued state ment in defense of the treaty between the United States and Colombia which is pending in the United States Sen ate. Among other things, Mir. Du Bois says:
 q was in the Department of State In 1903 when the press announced that the mailed hand of the United States had stopped Colombian soldiers from suppressing a revolution on the Isthmus of Panama. Amazed at this enterprise said to those present: This, If true, is a shocking injustice to Colombia and the United States must pay dearly for 1t In the end.'
 Three years ago, when I was asked to go to Bogota as Minister, l frank ly stated my sincere sympathies for Colombia and was informed that friendly relations with that country were desired by the United States, and that my sympathies were no bar to my mission.
 An impartial investigation at Bo- gotta, running over a period of two years, confirmed my sympathies, and convinced me that, instead of black mailers' and bandits the public men of Colombia compare we'll with the public men of other countries in in- telligence and responsibility, while the social life is as refined and cul- tured as can be found in any capital in the world. Bogota is called the Athens of South America.
 Impressed by the humiliation and sufferings that had befallen Colombia by the act of 1903, have worked un- selflshly for the true interests of. the United States in Latin America by trying to secure a settlement of our unfortunate differences on a broad and just basis, and the new treaty will accomplish that result. deeply re- gret the antagonism to it displayed in certain quarters, and l deplore Col. Roosevelt's bitter and misleading at. tack embodied in his recent public statement.
 Direct BenefieiarIes Fomented The
 NCNOIuLiOU.
 He says: The people of Panama were a unit in demanding the revo- lution.' l say, and can prove 1t, that a handful of men, who were to be the direct benehclaries of the revolu. ton, conceived it, and not the hun. dredth part of the inhabitants of the Isthmus knew of the revolt until an American officer, in the uniform of the United States army, raised the flag of the new republic.
 "'We never fired shot at any Go. lombian,' says Col. Roosevelt. True, but the execution of the orders of President Roosevelt 10 the American warship was an act of war, and if the Colombian soldiers had attempted to suppress the conspiracy they would have been captured, or driven into the sea, or killed, because that is the way our brave marines have of doing things when they are let loose
 "The time is not distant when Latin America will have a hundred million of people, inspired by new conditions of national and commercial life. Those now living feel that the Panama in- cident Is the only real injustice com mitted by the United States against the Latin.American people. The treaty will correct that feeling and greatly change the sentiment that is now run ming heavily against us in all South America, and place this country and Colombia upon that friendly footing so greatly desired by the people of both nations.
 If any person believes it is pleas. ant for me to oppose great leader whose fortunes I devotedly followed for ten years, and for whom I have profound esteem, he is radically mis- taken. am Republican and have been all my life, and have been urg- ed not to make this statement public, because Q successful issue of the treaty will help the Wilson Adminis' tration.
 "I do not care to live to greet that day where my love of party smothers my love of justice and halts my cour. age in doing what believe is right for the true interests of my country ''