Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-04
cONQUERS INDIANS
IN PEACE METHOD
Republic Of Panama Creates
Friendly Relations With
Half Civilized Tribes.
WORK DONE BY PoRRAs

Outlines of a&series of diplomatic and
economic measures which have recent
ly brought into friendly relations with
and allegiance to Panama some half
score OF tribes of semi-civilized In
dians are sketched by a Washington
MAN not long returned from that re-
public and thoroughly familiar with
it's internal political affairs
Some of the details sound like bits
of history Of two or three centuries
back. when such dealings were in con-
slant process all over both the north
ern and southern halves of the Ameri-
can continent. Yet it has ali happened
since 1912. It might be compared to a
page from the chronicles Of the old
Spanish "conquistadores" except that
the conquest was a peaceful one and
one with an ending beneficial to all
concerned.
Has Never Changed.
These Central American Indians have
have not changed since the time of CO.
1umbus and Balboa. and the "conquis-
tador" is apparently a worthy descend
ant of the original men so character
lied. He is DR.. Belisario Porras, minis
ter from Panama to the United States,
and from 1912 until this year president
of the republic.
The Indians dwell along the San Bias
coast, extending from San Bias, beyond
Portobelo. on the Gulf of Mexico, to
Cabo Tiburon. not far from the Colon
bian boundary: They number about
In hob hof oh Inc nd
the more than 800 islands that fringe
1t, and have always held aloof from
the civilized inhabitants, although they
themselves are both Intelligent and
appropriately clothed. They had been
Indifferent rather than hostile. and
cared neither to visit the settlements
nor receive their inhabitants. Their
great wealth lies in cocoanuts: the
very smallest of the islands are dotted
with these great palms, and from a
distance resemble flower pots scattered
in the placid water.
Colonization Law.
"In 1912 President sPorras proposed
to the assembly a law looking to the
and civilization of this
territory and. this passed, it took him
a whole year to gain the good will Of
the Chiefs" says the Washington man.
He entertained them in the capital,
turning over to them a hotel, furnish
ing them with funds to take in movies
giving them the sort of presents that
people appreciate: giving
them high-sounding commissions of
various sorts and investing them with
snowy uniforms appropriate to the
titles. Then he proposed visit to
their country, but the chief whose ac-
quaintance he had made earliest at
first dissuaded him. Finally, after some
he made the trip in spe-
cfal steamer, accompanied by Mr..
Pierce, the American minister, anchor
ing in the San Bias gulf In the midst
of the largest group of islands.
Council after council and interview
after interview were patiently gone
through with, and big banquet was
stage1, he continued, with the result
than ten out Of eleven tribes visited
finally declared themselves as willing
to be considered Panaman subjects. One
ruler, however. holding sway over the
tribe, numbering some 5000
souls. was obdurate.
. He announced that he and his people
belonged to Colombia and, although they
all live entirely within the boundaries of
Panama, the question was not pressed
and he was allowed to have his own sweet
will. But ten out of a possible eleven Is
a pretty good average. and perhaps had
the earliest settlers of this hemisphere
taken a similar course results would have
haon hoffnp