Evening star., 1925-03-05

When Cortez with his little band
conquered the mighty empire of Mon
teZuma, there were two tribes which
he never subdued. One was his ally,
the Tlascalans, hereditary enemy of
the Aztecs. The other was the tribe
of Tule. located in what is now Pana-
ma, in the region of the coast of the
Caribbean Sea, That tribe tsometimes
incorrectly called Tala) is today in
armed revolt against the Panama
government, and, with an army of
1000 organized and trained warriors,
it defies the Panama forces as the
Tuleans have always defied outside
interference with their independent
republic.
The Tuleans number some 10000.
Amongst them are the famous white
Indians, about whom much discussion
was centered Il few months ago when
an American engineer, r. Q. Morse,
brought some of them to Washington
and New York for scientific investi-
cation.
| Scientists are not all agreed as to
the phenomenon of White Indians.
Some find easy explanation in declar-
ing that they are albinos; others ac-
cept them as distinctive race.
Whence came their ancestors? Accord
ing to Mr.. Morse. there are about
1000 of these whites in San BlaS-a
proportion of l out of every 40,
which is quite too large ration for
the theory of albinos. Mr.. Morse does
not claim to have made an original
discovery of the whites. According
to tradition they have existed since
long before the conquest of Cortez,
and nobody knows how far back into
the ages their genealogy would CO.
Montezuma is said to have had 100
of them in his royal palace, as curiosi-
ties. But so exclusive are the Tuleans
that 1t has been almost impossible for
scientific investigation and confirma-
ton of the existence of their whites,
until Mr.. Morse gained the confidence
and good will of the tribe through Pc
culiar circumstances, demonstra ting
that he was not seeking to exploit
their interests nor undermine their
independence.
While he was investigating the
country for rubber, an epidemic OF
smallpox ravaged the tribe and
threatened it's determination. AL
though Mr.. Morse is not a physician,
he sent to the United States for
supply of smallpox vaccine, and with
it he stopped the epidemic. That con-
yinced the tribe of the sincerity of
his good will. He told the leaders
that he purposed to use his best eff
forts to induce the powerful United
States. Government to purchase from
Panama the sovereignty of the San
Bias region with the view to protect
ing the tribe in it's independence. So
completely was their faith established
in Mr.. Morse that they permitted him
to bring to the American Capital two
white Indian girls and one white boy,
together. with few brown indians.
Press dispatches, within the last
few days, have been burdened with
sensational statements that Morse
had raised the United States flag and
taken possession of San Bias in be-
half of this country. Other reports
were to the effect that he had raised
the United States flag, and under its
protection had donated the San Bias
country not to US, but to Columbia,
South America.
More or less mystery hangs over
the situation, since no direct informa-
tion can come out of San Bias, and
our State Department is unusually
seeretive concerning IT.. An American
cruiser has appeared off the coast ITO
protect American interests" and a
Panama army or body of police is
said to be marching toward San Bias
Ito restore order" and several Pana-
mans are reported slain By the de-
tenders of Tule independence
x X X X
| All of the Panamans who are in
| the army are negroids -blacks. No
| whites have suffered from the Tulean
hostilities. But the Tuleans hold
| both whites and blacks as enemies
~ their independence. slice both are