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PAPERS SUBMITTED RELATING TO THE TRIPARTITE

TREATIES.

Minister Russell to Secretary Hay.

[Extracts.]

AMERICAN LEGATION, Bogotá, December 20, 1904.

SIR: I have the honor to report that up to the present my relations, official and otherwise, with the Colombian Government have been quite cordial. The feeling against our Government in official circles growing out of the Panama incident is gradually disappearing, due I think, to the hope that some negotiations can be effected with the United States Government by which Colombia in accepting the "fait accompli" will appear to her people and the world as not having lost any of her national dignity.

I have had several long talks with the minister of foreign affairs, and he has intimated that it would probably be the best thing for his country to recognize the Republic of Panama and accept the situation, provided that Colombia could, by means of commercial treaties and conventions with the United States and Panama, obtain some of the advantages that she had expected from the construction of the canal on her territory.

*

The Government has informed me that it is its intention to send a minister to Washington very soon. I am convinced that the only thing necessary to bring about cordial relations with this country and restore American prestige would be some sort of a treaty arrangement with the United States and Panama by which Colombia could obtain in this usual and ordinary way some of the advantages she has lost by a policy the consequences of which she did not realize until too late, and which national pride, influenced considerably by an antiAmerican political minority, prevents her from disavowing too openly at present.

I am sir, with great respect,

Your obedient servant,

WILLIAM W. RUSSELL.

The Acting Secretary of State to Minister Russell.

[Telegram.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 9, 1905.

The Government of Panama having been thoroughly established and recognized by the civilized nations of the world, it is not now regarded as competent to submit the question of its independence to a plebescite.

The President will be pleased if Colombia will celebrate with Panama a treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation; also if Colombia were to arrange to settle all questions not disposed of in said treaty with Panama by means of arbítration.

No. 17.]

Minister Russell to Secretary Hay.

AMERICAN LEGATION,

LOOMIS.

Bogota, January 13, 1905.

SIR: Referring to your cipher telegram of the 9th instant, which is confirmed in a separate dispatch, I have the honor to state that I have just had a long conference with the President, during which I showed him a copy of your cable. I asked Gen. Reyes to kindly tell me exactly what he would like me to say to my Government, and his reply was as follows:

You can say, Mr. Russell, that I have urged with some persistency this question of a plebiscite to decide the question as to Panama's independence, because his excellency the Secretary of State suggested it to me in a memorandum. We all know in Colombia that Panama will ratify her action of November 3, 1903; but, as a mere matter of form and a salve to the national honor, a decksion by plebiscite will pave the way to a definite and final understanding between all the nations concerned. It can make not a particle of difference to the United States, but to Colombians and to me especially in the present state of public feeling it will be the most important step in the policy of reconcilia tion and good feeling which I am earnestly endeavoring to pursue.

The President requested me to inform you that in February he is going to call a convention to ratify all his decrees for the relief of the country which Congress failed to pass, reform the constitution in regard to the Vice Presidency, and to ratify this proposed arrangement in regard to Panama. The President also requested me to say to you that the congressmen arrested some time ago were all prominent members of the opposition to the Hay-Herran treaty. I am, sir, with great respect,

Your obedient servant,

WILLIAM W. RUSSELL

Minister Russell to Secretary Hay.

Strictly confidential.]

[Telegram.]

AMERICAN LEGATION,

Bogota, May 8, 1905.

Government of the United States of Colombia is sending a confidential agent to confer with the President of the Republic of Panama, and this agent will reach Panama about the 26th. Same agent is coming to Washington afterwards to communicate with Colombian minister there. Government of United States of Colombia has requested me to ask that the American minister to Panama be informed of this, and that he be requested to use his good offices to aid the agent of Colombia in effecting arrangement with the Republic of Panama.

RUSSELL.

Minister Barrett to Secretary Root.

No. 66.]

AMERICAN LEGATION,
Bogota, April 7, 1906.

SIR: Referring to my No. 64 of April 2, 1906, I have the honor to report further developments as follows: 1

As a result of the conference I held with the President, in which we discussed in a full, frank, and friendly way the relations of Colombia and the United States, and after he had seen the report in the American papers that Colombia was displeased with your reply to Minister Mendoza's note 2 and might therefore break off relations with the United States, he decided to telegraph explicit instructions to Minister Mendoza to the effect that he should in no way appear disturbed over your answer to his note, but that, on the other hand, he should continue to discuss matters with you in a friendly way, in the hope of promoting an amicable understanding between the two countries. The President further said that he desired Dr. Mendoza to make the same efforts in Washington that I am making in Bogota to develop the best of relations.

In view of the importance of this action of the President and of the possibility that erroneous reports might be published in the States, I deemed it best to include references to this in my telegram confirmed in an unnumbered dispatch of this same date.

I have the honor, etc.,

Confidential.]

Minister Barrett to Secretary Root.

JOHN BARRETT.

AMERICAN LEGATION,
Bogota, May 23, 1906.

SIR: I have the honor to submit to you a confidential report of an informal discussion enjoyed between President Reyes and myself which has a most important bearing on the relations of the United States and Colombia and indirectly on the coming Pan American conference.

As you are aware from previous dispatches of mine, it has been my well-defined policy here not to urge in any way the recognition of Panama by Colombia or to appear insistent on reaching any understanding with the United States as to the questions which Colombia holds are outstanding and unsettled. On the other hand I have endeavored to employ officially and personally every ligitimate and dignified means to soften the bitter feeling aroused against the United States and President Roosevelt by the Panama incident and to develop a friendlier attitude toward our Government and President. If a just conclusion can be drawn from the treatment of myself as American minister by the Colombian Government, people, and press, it would seem as if my efforts were reciprocated and appreciated, and good results in consequence were being accomplished. Such feeling, however, has not crystallized into a tangible specific diplomatic step in the desired direction until to-day, Wednesday,

1 Not printed. Merely incloses newspaper clipping.
2 Printed. S. Doc. No. 542, 60th Cong., 2d sess.

May 23, when the President invited me to spend the day with him informally at Madrid, his country residence. I am writing this dispatch immediately after my return on the evening train to Bogota, when all that was said is fresh in my mind.

Soon after my arrival at his house, the President invited me into his private office with Dr. Climaco Calderon, his minister of foreign affairs, and remarked in effect as follows:

Mr. Minister, I am talking with you now not so much as President Reyes but as your old friend Reyes of the second Pan American conference. I desire to speak frankly with you as one in whom I have complete confidence and whom I believe to be a sincere friend of mine and Colombia, while a loyal minister of the United States. Then, too, you know that, despite the Panama affair, I have always been a supporter and admirer of the United States and President Roosevelt, and that, for instance, at the second Pan American conference in Mexico, I invariably acted in harmony with you and your colleagues from the United States. Now

He continued

I want to read to you a confidential memorandum that has been submitted to me by one of our prominent and able citizens in regard to the relations of the United States, Colombia, and Panama, and to learn what you think of it. In the main it expresses my views as far as proposed policy is concerned with such modifications as are self-evidently necessary.

He then read the memorandum, a translation of which made by his orders, I attach hereto in the exact language of the form handed me, and I would earnestly recommend that you read it at this point before proceeding to consider what I have hereinafter written.

When the President had concluded the reading of the memorandum, he made the following observations:

It is true, as the memorandum says, that a movement has been started in Cauca, Antioquia, and the Atlantic Provinces, in harmony with some agencies and influences in Panama, to form a new republic including Panama, and to make Panama City the capital.

The failure of Mr. Mendoza to accomplish anything for the benefit of Colombia has given strength to the movement, and the story has been circulated that the United States will not only quietly aid such a plan, but gladly recognize the new republic.

This report has even gone to Chile, Argentina, and Brazil and secured sufficient official credence there to cause our minister to these countries, Gen. Uribe-Uribe, to telegraph me concerning it and inform me that some of the delegates of these countries to the Rio conference might refer to it as evidence that the United States was secretly preparing to repeat the Panama incident and add to its hold on South America. I now wish to wire him not only that the United States is not abetting such a movement, but has given me assurance of an eventual settlement of our differences and so frustrate the enemies of the United States.

I am speaking frankly, as you know, when I tell you that strong influence has been brought to bear on me from other countries of South America to oppose the United States at the Pan-American conference and even not to send delegates, but I have refused, as you are well aware, to listen to such suggestions, believing in the high purpose of President Roosevelt and Secretary Root and the justice of the United States in its final attitude toward Colombia.

I am reliably informed that there are men at work in Panama beyond my reach to assist a revolution in Cuaca and Cartagena, looking to union with Panama, and I wish you would kindly ask Mr. Root to instruct Minister and Governor Magoon to watch any schemes or schemers of this kind and use his influence against it. Such a movement can not succeed without a long and bloody war, for, if necessary, I should take the field and command myself, while, as it is, I know that I am in control of the situation and can prevent any outbreak if the United States does not intervene against me.

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I shall be grateful if you will cable your Government an outline of my suggestions, together with a request that its representative in Panama watch the situation there in reference to Cauca, etc., and then confirm your message with a full report of our meeting and conversation.

I then took up the conversation for a few minutes, and said in effect the following:

Without committing my Government in any way, I thank you for your frankness in reading and discussing this memorandum. I will forward it in a confidential dispatch, as you desire, to Secretary Root, and await his instructions. Referring to the comments you have just made, I would say first, that I will, of course, treat its suggestions as confidential and ask my Government to so treat it. As to the withdrawal of Mr. Mendoza, it would seem better to me to postpone such action for the present or until any negotiations might be actually begun, for fear that his recall might be misinterpreted as Colombian displeasure with the United States or as a break off of relations just before the Pan-American conference, when signs of good will were desirable on all sides.

As to the formation of a new republic, I need hardly assure you that the United States has not lent and will not lend the least shadow of assistance to any arrangement of the kind described by you, and, if it is asserted that the United States is secretly favoring its consummation, such allegation is the pure fabrication of its enemies. I am aware of the anti-American influences brought to bear on you in connection with the Pan American conference, and I have also informed my Government that you not only were not moved by them, but that Colombia's delegates at Rio would not embarrass the United States by any discussion of the Panama question.

I shall telegraph my Government the substance of your suggestions as expressed in this memorandum and the recommendation that Minister Magoon keep an eye on any revolutionary or new republic movement in Panama.

In regard to the transfer of negotiations from Washington to Bogota, suggested in the memorandum, I must state that, while I appreciate deeply the compliment to myself I can not personally advise or request my Government to approve of such a step. It might seem better in its opinion to conduct any actual negotiations in Washington where my Government is always in close touch with Panama and where the approval of the Senate is required to any treaty, but, as you do not insist on negotiations being conducted here, that is a point that can be easily arranged later on.

At this point I called attention to the fact that, as you would be leaving the United States early in July for the Rio conference and a visit to South America and not be returning before September or October, my Government, if disposed to act on these new suggestions of Colombia, could not take up their careful consideration before fall. Gen. Reyes replied that he understood that situation and would not expect anything explicit to be accomplished until after your return, but he did hope, for reasons stated above and in the memorandum, that the United States Government would give him some direct assurance of willingness to undertake negotiations along these general lines before the Pan American conference meets simply answered that I would confirm my telegram with this extended and detailed report which should reach Washington in the latter part of June, and it might be possible to receive some definite word, although I could not promise it, before your departure.

I

President Reyes then enlarged upon the hope that you and the President would think favorably of his proposals. He said: (a) That you could not realize how strong still was the feeling, amounting almost to intense hatred, among the people of Colombia against the United States on account of its standing by Panama in the latter's separation; (b) that only by his constant watchfulness and

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