Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-02
FAVORABLE REPORT
ON BOTH TREATIES
Senate Committee Acts on
Pacts With Colombia and
Nicaragua.
$25, 900, 900 INDEMNITY
is CUT TO $4,000, 900
Apology for the Panama Incident Is
Amended So as to Be
Made Mutual.

The Colombian and Nicaraguan
treaties, which have been pending
for more than a year before the
Senate foreign relations commit
tee, were ordered favorably re-
ported to the Senate today by
that committee.
Before ordering the report on
the Colombian treaty it was
amended so as to reduce the in
demnity which the United States
is to pay to Colombia from
$25,ooo,ooo to S15,ooo,ooo. ~This
money is regarded as a sop to
the Colombians for what oc-
Cured at the time that Panama
became independent and the
United States obtained the Pana-
ma Canal Zone.
apology Is Made Mutual.
The treaty was further modified so
as to make the apology" of this
country to Colombia as originally con-
| tanned in the treaty a mutual affair.
in which both the United States and
Colombia expressed regret for what
had transpired
The vote by which the Colombian
<roa tn 7
one democrat, Senator Clarke of Ar
kansas. voting with the republicans
against the treaty: One republican,
Senator McCumber, was not present,
and one democrat, Senator Shively.
also was absent. Had both been pres
ent the vote would have been to all
intents and purposes the same.
Senator Borah of Idaho made a mo-
tion to the effect that the debate on
the Colombian treaty should be in the
open Senate and not behind closed
ed a desire to consider this question,
and Senator Borah agreed to let his
motion go over until the next meeting
of the committee, next week.
All of the republican members of the
committee are opposed to the Colom-
bian treaty and will make a deter
| mined fight against 1t in the Senate.
That the democrats can muster a two
thirds majority for the ratification of
the treaty-the necessary majority
is not believed possible.
When questioned as to the reason for
reducing the amount of the sum to be
paid Colombia, one of the republican
members of the committee said that he
thought perhaps it was to "cut down
a little what the lobbyists will get"
The Nicaraguan treaty was ordered
reported out by vote of 10 to 3, in
which party lines were broken, some
of the republicans supporting the
treaty. Those who voted against the
treaty were Senators Smith of Michi-
gan, Borah and Clarke of Arkansas.
1t provides for protectorate of a kind
over Nicaragua by the United States
and also would have the United States
pay to Nicaragua $3,O00.000 for inter-
oceanic canal rights through that
country.
The Haitian treaty was allowed to
go over until the next meeting of the
committee.
Firm Against Nicaragua Pact.
Senator william Alden Smith of
Michigan plans to keep up his fight In
the Senate against the Nicaraguan
treaty. which he considers an outrage
upon the people of Nicaragua and a
mere means on the part of some
Nicaraguans to obtain money from the
United States.
1t was at the request of Senator
Smith that action on the Nicaraguan
treaty was postponed by the committee
last week until today. AS 1t was, Sena-
tor Smith managed to get here in time
for the meeting today only by strenu-
Gus efforts. He was In California, and
his trip east was seriously hampered
by the floods which have devastated
parts of the southwest. Some of the
journey Senator Smith had to make in
a rowboat, and at another point he had
to cross the floods on raft.