The Alaska daily empire., 1921-04-05
PANAMA TRYING
 TO CAST OFF U. s.
 LEADING STRINGS
Little Republic Would Co It Alone without Interfer-
 ence from the U. s.

PANAMA, April 5.-The hostili- ties with Costa Rica over disputed border territory, which began in February an dwere terminated early in March on admonition from the United States Government, broke just at the right moment for the admin istration of Belisario Porras, Presi- dent of Panama, to attempt to util- iZe them in it's campaign to assure the isthmian republic the right to conduct it's affairs without foreign interference s-.. .se..s..s.-.'
 A national spirit has been devel- oping in Panama since November 5, 1903, when for the fifth and last time, Panama declared her inde- pendehce+s +s"It was hardly perceptible during the first decade of the re- publics existance, but ili his New Years message of January l. 1921, President Porras gave utterance to the belief of his administration that the time was ripe for Panama to stand alone.
 Protests to U. S.
 IftNi at Washington over the taking over of land by the American govern ment for canal defense purposes was the first step in the independence program The Porras administra- tion asserted that the occupation of territory under the Hay-Narilla treaty should be c0hsumated through regular diplomatic channels and that, if the United States gov ernment continued it's present pol icy to it's logical concusion it could swallow the entire republic without pausing to notify the victim
 These protests, aimed at the util- ization of points on Taboga Island, on the Pacific side, and on the Bahia de las Minas, on the Carri- bean shore, were almost simultan- eous with a protest against writ ten opinion by Judge w. Hanan oi the United States District Court of the Canal Zone, in which the court stated Panama occupied the posi- ton of protectorate of the United States. President Porras declared that he counted upon the support of Latin-American republics in this protest.
 Would Dust Ruan.
 The next incident upon which the Porras administration took a decid- ed stand for free hand in run ming the republic came during the last week in February when the President, in an interview given The Associated Press, announced that he had decided to name Pan amanian to succeed Addison T Ruan, American, as fiscal agent During the incumbency of MT. Ruan the republic had piled up surplus of s2,500,000, which the admin extensive road building program In this connection the President said:
 The American Minister William Jennings Drice, is opposed to the appointment of a Panamian citizen claiming we must appoint candi- date selected by the American gov ernment. This question seems to be connected with the termination oi the contract with the International Banking Corporation as depository of the governments funds and treasury receipts, which l have de- cided not to renew because we have a national bank managed today by very efficient manager and which is in a prosperous condition"
 Contracts Awarded.
 Immediately after his interview it was announced that the govern ment had awarded road buildina contracts to two companies, one North American and the other Pan amian, in d program involving tht expenditure of about S7,O00, 0,000.
 Even while the President anC the American Minister were con ferring over the affair of the fisca agent, Costa Riean forces. on Feb. ruary 21, occupied the small towr of Coto, on Golfo Lulce, the most