Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-19
Colombia Journalist in NeW
Mexico Defends His Country
Editor Morning Journal;

| Editor Morning Journal:
As a newspaperman from Colombia,
South America. appeal to the news
papermens courtesy to publish the
following: In your edition of the l 9th
instant under the editorial Fall and
Fatin-America' | find these two state
ments:
"But the Colombian government
has issued decree taking over the
oil properties. and the senate foreign
relations committee has decided not
to permit payment of the $25, 000, 900
until there is assurance that American
property holders in Colombia are not
to be robbed of their rights.
There could be no apology without
admission of Wrong-doing. The
apologists In Washington had been
very cheerful about this because It'll
would involve a decided reflection on
Theodore Roosevelt. who a& president
refused to submit to blackmail by
Colombia in the Panama negotiations
and took advantage of the Panama
revolt to put through the great canal
project for the benefit Of the whole
world"
If the congress of my country has
1
be assured that this law is under the
rights of Colombia and win not rob
anyone of anything. You may go
through our history and will not find
a single case, where a foreigner has
been robbed or murdered. The only
case we have had was that of an
Italian adventurer who gave help to
revolution and his stock of few hum
bred dollars of merchandise was seized
Temporarily by the government. After
short time the whole Italian navy
came to our ports and gloriously rob-
bed our country of several million
Tyres. The Monroe doctrine was not
called to- stop the international bandit
and protect the rights of n sister that
had not gun or warship. Foreign
| ers who have gone to Colombia have
always found more safety, more lib
erty, more help and sympathy than in
any other part
The Standard Oil company is show
ling her teeth IN all these obstacles
against the Colombian treaty and
S25, 100000 will be cheap price to
keep our country from this black
monster. This same gang of pluto
Gratis, through the Banco Mercantil
| Americana, lately established in
| Colombia, succeeded short time ago
| in fomenting riot of Bolshev!sts to
ask in Bogota the American interven-
| ton for more liberty. when the lib
| erty of thought and press is even
greater there than here. You can
trace this and the incident on the
| Colombian claim to the Standard Oil
company. We do not care. We are
educated now to avert a Mexican
situation. What would you say IL in
case of Matchmaking the railroads, a
foreign government came to menace
because one of the roads belonged to
one of his subjects?
About the second statement l refer
you to the following American words
by the late Joseph F. Reed in The
Journal
1.-THE question of Panama Is not
altogether pleasant There is treaty
pending now which practically
acknowledges that we wronged
Colombia in the matter. So far our
congress has refused to ratify 1t. We
do not like to admit that we were
wrong. But so far as l know, those
who are obstructing the ratification
of this treaty have never suggested
that we refer the matter to an i'm
partial tribunal
sThen, of course, there Is the mat
ter of the Panama canal tolls. All
the European nations consider that
we came within an ace of treating
treaty as a scrap of paper. But for
England's protest we'd have done It,
"All this is mighty unpleasant. But
the inference is plain enough. We
haven't been true to our high ideals.
We have been in the game of power
politics along with the other nations.
The rule of might has prevailed in
stead of the rule of right"
Also the following from James #.
Du Bots. U. S. minister to Colombia
IAN impartial investigation at
Bogota running over period of two
years confirmed my sympathies and
convinced me that instead of black
maiiers' and bandits the public men
of Colombia compare we'll with the
public men of other countries in in
teliigence and responsibility while
the social life is as refined and Gull
tured as can be found in any capital
in the world"
IF any person believes 1t is pleas
ant for me to oppose great leader
(Roosvelt) whose fortunes devotedly
followed for ten years. and for whom
] have profound esteem, he Is radically