The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-07-02
President Taft's Minister to o.
iombia Who Replies to
Colonel Roosevelt.
APOLOGY NOT ABjEcT
He Says He Followed InstTuc
tons Not to HumiIlate
Colonel Roosevelt.
t.y Assoe,.rse e.s..,I

with the proposed Colombian treaty
James t. Dubois. who was Bnitsd
States minister to Colombia undsrI
the Taft administration, takes issue
with the views. recently expressed by
Colonel Roosevelt and explains hid
own reasons for supporting the
treaty. He also analyses the treaty
at some length. Regarding his dir
ference with Colonel Roosevelt cii
this subject, Mr.. Dubois expresses
regret at opposing "a great leader
whose fortunes devotedly followed
for ten years" and states that mo
man will tolerate the thought that
any Of Colonel Roosepelt',s acts was.
inspired by tainted motives, but no
man Is always right.
Negotiations for treaty during
the Taft administration failed. he
says. because his Instructions, out Of
excessive care not to impugn the mo-
tiyes of President Roosevelt In tax
ing" Panama, failed to give q Colombia
sufficient justice. The pending
treaty. he believes, should be heart
lily approved by the American peo-
pie.
Taking issue with Colonel Roose-
welt regarding the character Of the
public men in Colombia, Mr.. Dubois
declared that they compare well with
the public men Of other countries, IN
intelligence and responsibility. i'm
stead of being "blackmailers and
bandits Quoting Mr.. Rooseveitsa
declaration that the people Of PAM
anna We're unit in demanding the
revolution, he says. "a handful Of
men, who were to be the direct ben-sI
eficiaries Of the revolution, con-s
ceived It and not the hundredth part
OF the Inhabitants OF the isthmuS
knew. Of the revolt until an Ameri-
can officer. In the uniform Of the
United States army, raised the nag
OF the new republic"
Helpless Old Man.
Regarding the acting president.
Marroquin, whom he quotes Colo
nelsR Roosevelt as describing Us ans
absolute and Uncontrolled diEtator
Mr.. DUBOIS says:
he as. q helpless and hapiess Old
mani placed In the midst sof I, great
national unrest and disorder at the
close of the most disastrous civil war
in the history Of Colombia. He was
not In accord with the congress and
the congress was alive with discord,
and i've mfl1ions of innocent and
hapless people saw the true inter-.
ests Of their country destroyed by the
selfish disputes Of less than one hun4
dred men. II Theodore Roosevelt
had realized the true situation q, \
a y, =. 4
reinforced his; patience with synpa-
thy for that helpless people who had
been, for q hundred years, our best
friends south Of the Rio Grande. "
The claim made by Colonel Rocse-
yelt that the Colon bian treaty il al
blackmailing agreement Is dealt
with by Mr. Dubois in his interpre.
tation Of the document.
While negotiating for a treaty
made the Colombian authorities un4
derstand that under no circum4
stances would the United States apol-
ogize to any nation for a political act
that was our unwritten law that
never had been and never would be-
broken. In purely informal CONVEX
salons, and In my nofficial memo
randurn, I suggested that schiyais
rous expression OF regret that orr.
friendship had in any way been
marred, such as any real gentleman
would freely grant to anothsr
might later be embodied in the
treaty as balm for the wounded
feelings Of q once friendly nation
which had been Inundated; before
The world. whose credit had been de-
stroyed in foreign countries, wiiose
borrowing ability had been annihi-s
lated and whose persistent appeals
Tor arbitration had been ignored
: : = The opposition to this Yea-
ture, on the ground that 1t is an
apology. Is not just and is not IN the
rue interests Of the United States:
U the Anglo-Saxons are to live In
harmony with the Latins on this
continent they must treat them with
absolute Justice. Just as we shall e1s
act justice from them. .
Indemnity justified.
Dealing directly with Article M
u the treaty providing a payment Ito
Colombia which Colonel RooSeveltS
attacked as blackmail. Mr.. Dubois
describes the claims OF Colombia tor
he unpaid annuities on. the acces- n
sion OF the Trans-Isthmian Railroad
Company, the reversionary rights IN
he Panama railroad and Panama q
portion In the Colombia natfomdft
iebt, all Of which in his opinion.
should be met by. the United States:
Under the contract Of 1885,, m ie
'ays, Colombia coded the Trans
.sthmian Railroad Company to the
Panama Railroad Company for ape
dod OF ninety-nine years. and Tor
his she was to receive $3.50, 900 kn-s
lually during the life Of the contract
IT the time Of the separation ol
Panama there were remaining sixty
our annuities unpaid, amounting TO
16.000,000 The concession also
insured to Colombia reversionafys
lights in the Panama railroad at the
EXPIRATION Of the contract In 1867.
The physical value Of: the rail-
Dad shortly after the revolt; was
placed at $16,446, 900. IN addition
Colombia claims that she ID entitled
Q several millions of dollars for thar
,art Of her national. debt incurred IL
he interests Of Panama before the
evolution. q claim which was recoe-
lized in the treaty Of 1909 made an
Ter the Roosevelt admins