The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-07-21

~-*4 reason for hailing it as Colombia
"A Gem Tween Two Oceans" Both of them
trace their name back TO one man, the daring
navigator who is commonly regarded as the
"discoverer' of the New World-Christopher Co.
lumbus.
There is more than this historical connection
between the two republics, however. AS early
as 1916 the United States had made a treaty
with Colombia, then known as the Republic
of New Granada, by which it received the right
of free use of the Isthmus of Panama and this
led eventually to our acquiring one of our most
valuable foreign possessions, the Canal Zone,
and the digging of that great artery of COM
merce, the Panama Canal.
Within the last year two events have turned
the eyes of the North American republic to-
ward the South American One of them was the
dispute between Colombia and Peru over the
violation of a treaty whose purpose 1t was to
define the boundary between the two countries
The headwaters of the Amazon river are far
up in the eastern slope Of the Andes which
forms the back country of Peru, Ecuador and
Colombia.
In 1922, however, treaty was signed defn-
ing the boundary, which for the most part fol-
lowed the Putumayo river, a northern branch of
the Amazon, which it joins in Brazilian terri
tory. In order to give the Colombians access
to the Amazon, Peru coded to Colombia the mar
row corridor from the Putumayo along the Bra
lillian frontier to the Amazon and including the
AmaZonian port of Leticia.
Despite their resentment at this arrangement
1t was accepted by the Peruvians of this eastern
back country-of which the Amazonian port of
Iquitos is the principal center-until revolution
overthrow the government of President Leguia,
who had made the treaty. On the morning of
September 1 of last year the Peruvians seized
Leticia and drove out the Colombian officials.
At first President Sanchez Cerro was inclined
to disavow this action, but later supported it,
alleging that the treaty of 1922 was not valid
because it had never been put up to his people,
although the treaty was ratified by the congresses
of both countries.
Both countries prepared for war; proceed
ing rendered exceptionally difficult by the fact
that Leticia Is most inaccessible from either Bo-
gotta or Lima. few troops and armed launches
were sent into the territory and there were
numerous skirmishes with genuine If small
battle. There was also airplane raiding.
Thereupon the League of Nations took hand
In the affair. After an examination of the be-
ginnings of the conflict it issued a report which
condemned Perus attitude and asked for the
restoration of the seized territory to Colombia
President Sanchez Cerro refused to comply and
thus brought Peru into conflict with the league.
The league council at length proposed plan
which, on May %, was accepted by both coun-
tries, whereby Peru will evacuate Letcia and
the corridor, turning the Jurisdiction thereof
over to league commission which will act to
enforce order and use therefore such interna-
tonal forces as 1t may select; the entire ex-
pense of this operation being born by Colombia.
The four members of the commission, Col Ar
thur Brown representing the United States,
Capt. Francisco Iglesias, representative from
SPAIN DR.. Armando Menca of Cuba and Lemos
Basto the league representative from Brazil are
now on their way to Leticia to fulfill their duties
as league administrators.
Along with international praise for the efforts
of the league in effecting an amicable settlement
of the situation, credit also belongs to the sue
cessful negotiations between Perus new pres-
dent, DR.. Oscar Benavides, and DR.. Alfonso Lo-
PEI, Colombian minister to England. who, with
President Enrique Olaya Herrera of Colombia,
have established a closer earnest accord be-
tween the two nations
The other event was the celebration last JAM
rsry of the four hundredth anniversary of the
founding of Cartagena Colombia with a pro-
gram of festivities and an elaborate exposition
designed to recall the wealth and romance and
travail which four centuries had brought to this
Carthage of the New World"
A port of call for noted navigators of the
world. from Columbus to Lindbergh, Cartagena