The New York herald., 1921-04-30
It's Wen to Be Sure Of Your
Facts, Mr.. Escobar.

This newspaper has received from
Mr.. FRANCISCO EscoBAR, formerly
Consul General Of Colombia In New
York, letter OF combined insult. as.
sertion and more or less obsequious
pleading for publicity. We shall
print It's essential paragraphs with
appropriate comment:
"Your editorial in your issue Of
the 18th inst Is a glaring example
of what the New York World calls
most fittingly 'reclslessly false state
ments.' For instance, you state that
Panama reserved to itself the right
of sovereignty and to secede from
Colombia. In this you are abso-
lutely wrong. and It shows that you
merely repeat, parrot fashion, what
ex-President ROOSEVELT said often
but without ever proving It, although
the writer contradicted him as often,
without ever eliciting a rejoinder."
We have no concern with Mr..
EscoBAR's frequent contradictions Of
President ROOSEVELT, but can very
well understand how Mr.. EscoBAR's
manner Of approach may have dis
inclined Colonel ROOSEVELT to take
any notice Of the ex-Consul's commu-
nications on the subject. He proceeds: !:
"The Constitution Of the United
States OF Colombia enacted in 1853
and which, by the way. was presided
over by the Panamanian ARosrMENA,
says in It's Article I: The sovereign
States Of Antioquia, Bolivar. Boy
aca, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Mazda
lena, Panamo, Gantander and To-
lima have united themselves and
confederate at perpetuity. for the
purpose OF their exterior security
and mutual help. and hereby form
a free sovereign and Independent
nation"
In the Encyclopedia Britannica's
sketch Of the successive Constitutions
and phases Of the New Granadan or
Colombian Government the particular
Constitution to which Mr.. EscoBAR
refers in the foregoing paragraph is
thus described:
'Tn 1853 an important alteration
Of the Constitution took place. by
which the right was granted to every
province to declare itself independent
and 20 enter Into merely federal con-
nection with tho central republic,
which was now known as tho Gran
adine Confederation. In 1855 and
1857 Antioquia and Panama took
advantage Of the permission"
It was a confederation, or federal
republic, preserving Panama's sover-
eighty and involving the right Of with
drawal, up to 1885, when new Con-
stitution was proclaimed and imposed
by force, without having been SUBJ
mitted to the people, without being
ratified by the people Of Panama or
of the nation. This arbitrarily I'm
posed Constitution Of 1886 declared
that "the Colombian nation Is re-
organized as a centralized republic.
The sections which compose the
Colombian union and were called
States and national territories shall
continue to be part OF the territory
Of the Republic Of Colombia. retain
ing their present limits under the
name Of departments" Between 1885
and 1908 there we're on the part Of
Panama about ten attempted revolu-
tions to reassert that States inde-
pendence and to overthrow the op-
pressive and dictatorial rule Of Bo-
gotta. In 1908 this was accomplished
In the manner set forth In the edi-
torial article in THE New York
HERALD OF April 10 to which Mr
EsconAR takes exception In the un-
seemly language quoted above. We
continue our extracts from his letter :
Another case Of 'recklessiy false
statements or rather Of misrepre-
ssntation lon the part Of THE NEW
YoRK HnALpI II tho quotation you
give Of Article a5 OF tho Treaty Of
1886 between the United States and
New Granada, now Colombia. You
left out purposciy the most essential
part OF The article. namely: And
In consequence the United States also
guarantees In the same manner the
rights Of sovereignty and property
which New Granada has and pos
sesses over the said territory ttho
rsthmus OF Panama..
THAT 10 the plain language which
no international lawyer can misun-
derstand or interpret to suit expodi-
ency. Every word is clear and tho