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3c. Speech of Deputy Montaña (Nuevo Tiempo). 4. Speech of Dr. Urrutia (Anales).

4a. Telegram from Cali, March 3 (Correo Nacional). 4b. Speech of Deputy Corral (Anales, No. 12).

4c. Message of March 13 from President Reyes (Correo Nacional). 4d. Message of March 13 from Acting President Holguín (Correo Nacional).

4e. Account of riots (Concurso Nacional).

4f. Decrees Nos. 290 and 293 of March 14 (Correo Nacional).

5. Note from Dr. Urrutia to Mr. Dawson, March 15.

6. Translation thereof.

7. Copy of part of letter from Consular Agent Volkman (Bucaramanga) to Consul General White, February 28.

7a. Presidential circular telegrams of March 14 and 15 from President to military authorities, etc., in Provinces.

8. Presidential message to assembly of March 20.

9. Mr. Dawson's note to Dr. Urrutia, March 23.

10. Memorandum insertion of comma in Spanish text of treaty. 11. Translation thereof.

12. Report of special committee on treaties, March 27.

13. Article by "M. T.," Nuevo Tiempo.

14. Article by Carlos Vallarino y Miro, Nuevo Tiempo.

15. Article by Juan de J. Bernal, Nuevo Tiempo.

16. Article by Max Grillo, "Opinion acerca de los tratados,"

Nuevo Tiempo.

17. Letter from J. N. Valderrama, Nuevo Tiempo.

18. Letter from P. A. Herrán, Nuevo Tiempo.

19. Interview with Gen. Thomas Quintero, Nuevo Tiempo.

The Acting Secretary to Minister Dawson.

No. 84.] WASHINGTON, April 6, 1909. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 241, of February 26 last, in which you forward a copy of the message of the President of Colombia, transmitting to Congress the treaties between the United States and Colombia and between Colombia and Panama, together with the exposition of the treaties by the Colombian minister of foreign affairs.

Thanking you for the document. I desire that you may, in the course of informal conversation with the minister, express your personal gratification for the kindly sentiments toward the United States expressed in Mr. Urrutia's exposition.

I am, sir. your obedient servant,

HUNTINGTON WILSON,

Acting Secretary.

Secretary Knox to Minister Dawson.

Serial No. 87.]

[Confidential.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, April 19, 1909.

SIR: Referring to your telegrams of the 23d and 27th ultimo, already confirmed. I inclose for your confidential information copies

of the notes exchanged between the Colombian and Panaman ministers at this capital concerning an alleged declaration by the Panaman minister as to the meaning of the words "region de Jurado." These copies were confidentially given to the department by the Colombian Legation.

It is unnecessary to reiterate the ardent hope of this Government that these treaties may be ratified at the earliest practicable moment. For your own information I will add that the department does not at the present moment feel called upon to express any formal opinion as to the interpretation of the boundary situation between Colombia and Panama.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

Inclosures:

P. C. KNOX.

From Colombian minister to Panaman minister, March 1, 1909. From the Panaman minister to Colombian minister, March 6, 1909.

LEGACION DE COLOMBIA,

Washington, March 1, 1909.

His excellency DON C. C. AROSEMENA,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
of the Republic of Panama.

MY DEAR MRÁ MINISTER: It is necessary for me to write to Bogota preparing the road for the arbitration we have agreed upon, and it should be most gratifying to me if Y. E. would do me the favor to ratify in writing the words that you employed referring to this at the time we were finishing the discussion on the treaty. I refer to our having agreed to avoid any description of the territory subject of dispute, which might come to darken the deliberations of the tribunal, and having asked what Y. E. understood by the words región de Jurado," you answered in these or similar words: "As minister of Panama, and a signatory to this treaty, I must state that in my opinion what is called 'región de Jurado' is bounded toward the east, to wit, toward Colombian territory, by the course of the River Jurado." And that in consequence we did agree to accept in the writing of the treaty the words "región de Jurado."

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I beg Y. E. to excuse my troubling you and assuring Y. E. of my sincere thanks for a gratifying reply. I, etc.,

No. 3.]

ENRIQUE CORTES.

LEGACION DE PANAMA,
Washington, March 6, 1909.

MY DEAR MR. MINISTER AND ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your excellency's kind note of the 1st instant, requesting the ratification of certain declarations which I made by word to your excellency before the signature of the treaties between our respective countries respecting my opinion as to what is mentioned in the treaty as the Jurado region. (La región de Jurado.)

Your excellency will remember that on giving my opinion as to what I considered was comprised within "la región de Jurado," I

pointed out to your excellency that I was ready to reiterate my words in case that if at the time of submitting the question to arbitration any dispute should arise between the arbitrators touching what is called in the treaty as "la región de Jurado." I am ready to fulfill this declaration when the circumstances require it; I truly regret not to do it at this moment, as I consider it premature since no question has yet been risen about the interpretation of the words "la región de Jurado."

The facts that the treaties between Colombia and Panama, the United States and Panama, and Colombia and the United States have not yet been ratified by all the countries, and that the ratifications have not been exchanged yet, has also influenced upon my mind not to accede to your excellency's wishes.

Accept, sir, etc.,

His excellency Señor D. ENRIQUE CORTÉS, Etc.

Serial No. 89.]

C. C. AROSEMENA.

Acting Secretary to Chargé Hibben.

PAXTON HIBBEN, Esq.,

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, May 4, 1909.

American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, Bogota.

SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Dawson's No. 247, of March 29 last, reporting on the events growing out of the attempt made by the President of Colombia to obtain the approval of the Colombian Congress of the treaties concluded by the Republic of Colombia with the United States and Panama.

The department desires to express its commendation of Mr. Dawson for his admirable and illuminating report on the complicated situation of affairs in Bogota.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

HUNTINGTON WILSON,

Acting Secretary.

American Chargé to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

AMERICAN LEGATION,

Bogota, May 10, 1909-10 p. m.

A manifest issued by the President of Colombia this evening referring to Holguin's action of March 13 (see telegram of the legation of the 14th March), postpones consideration of the treaties until ordinary session of Congress next February.

American Chargé to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

AMERICAN LEGATION,

Bogota, May 12-10 a. m.

Referring to my telegram of May 10, 9 p. m.. minister for foreign affairs called me to explain that He believes that if the Govern

ment submits the treaties to Congress of July there might be general disturbance. The treaties are being used as a political weapon against the Government. It hopes the situation will change for the ordinary Congress in February."

Dawson will fully explain what is meant by my, in strict confidence, saying that the Government of Colombia fears it can not secure the ratification either at present or in February, and has consequently sacrificed the treaties in the hope of saving itself in the coming elections.

No. 262.]

The American Chargé to the Secretary of State.

[Edited.]

HIBBEN.

AMERICAN LEGATION,
Bogota, May 13, 1909.

SIR: I have the honor to refer to this legation's Nos. 259 and 261,1 of April 28 and May 5, respectively, in regard to the political situation of this country, and to my cipher telegrams of the 10th and 12th instant, respectively, reporting the action of the Government of Gen. Reyes in withdrawing the United States-Panama-Colombia treaties from consideration by the special Congress called for July 20, for which the elections are to be held the 30th of this month. With reference particularly to my first telegram, I have the honor to report that the situation of the present administration is of the gravest. I inclose herewith copy of the manifesto of the President of the Republic, to which reference was made in the telegram in question, accompanied by a translation thereof. The initial inconsistency between the statements made in this document and those made me yesterday by Dr. Urrutia is characteristic of the course which Gen. Reyes has seen fit to adopt-a course of vacillation, which has led him to this final act of sacrificing the treaties in the hope of maintaining his position as personal head of the Government and virtual autocrat of his country.

It is necessary for a clear understanding of the present situation to return to the moment of the departure of Mr. Dawson. From that time scarcely a day has passed without the establishment of some new newspaper-organs, for the most part, of the opponents of the Government. Shortly after Mr. Dawson left a paper called "El Debate," the organ of the students who made their way into the legation on the 9th of March, and a strong Liberal journal, supporting Dr. Nicolas Eaguerra for President to supplant Gen. Reyes, began a cowardly attack upon Mr. Dawson, posting up throughout the city a placard purporting to be a certificate of a number of these students implying that Mr. Dawson had made a false statement in denying their report of his words to the students on the 9th of March. The journal was to-day suppressed as a result of a protest of the dean of the diplomatic corps. The attack on Mr. Dawson was an attack, through him, upon the treaties and upon the Government. The treaties have been, indeed, used as a political weapon against the Government. From day to day articles have appeared bitterly assail

1 Not printed; unimportant.

ing the United States, and even going so far as to advocate the severance of diplomatic relations.

I had no intimation of the purpose of the Government to withdraw the treaties and knew of the action only by having seen the manifesto posted at the street corners on the evening of the 10th instant. I had just talked with the minister of foreign affairs half an hour before, but he had told me nothing. The following day I waited word from him until 5 o'clock in the evening. When he finally sent word that he had something to communicate to me I was engaged with the Ecuadorean and Italian ministers, and considering it expedient then to wait until I could see the results of the manifesto on the antiadministration press in the morning, I availed myself of this excuse to reply that I would call at 9 the succeeding day. The opposition papers, however, contained little comment.

Dr. Urrutia wished to show me the telegram which was sent to the Colombian Legation at Washington after I left the ministry, with instructions to assure the department of this Government's continued support of the treaties. The minister had no reason to offer for not having informed this legation of the administration's contemplated action earlier. He stated, however, that the President had become convinced that the treaties could not pass the Congress in July, and had decided, in order to avoid having them rejected, to postpone their consideration until the meeting of the regular Congress in February, 1910. He had only the vaguest reasons to give for this belief. I asked him if he had any cause to believe that the treaties would more readily pass the Congress of 1910 than the present one, and he replied that he hoped so, but that it could not be certain. He added that the President feared civil war if the Government continued to support the treaties, and that he had been assured by Mr. Dawson that our Government did not desire to bring such a disaster upon the country. When I pointed out, however, that if it were as certain as he seemed to believe that the treaties could not pass the present Congress there would scarcely be occasion for civil war, he withdrew the term and substituted grave disorders at the elections. I then asked him what he wished me to give my Government as the reason for this official action in thus withdrawing the treaties from consideration, and took down his words in Spanish, as follows:

Creo que si el Gobierno somete los tratados al Congreso de Julio, puede haber conmoción general. Los tratados se toman como arma eledtoral contra el Gobierno. Este espera que la situación se cambiará para el Congreso ordinario de Febrero.

[Translation.]

I believe that if the Government were to submit the treaties to the July Congress there might be a general commotion. The treaties are being used as an electoral weapon against the Government. The latter hopes for a change in the situation before the regular session of the Congress in February.

This was a final form, much altered before it was reached. Of it I sent a translation in my cable of yesterday.

Dr. Urrutia went from this interview to the President. Yesterday afternoon I know, privately, that the President made every preparation to leave the country, Holguín remaining in the exercise of the executive functions. He, however, again changed his mind and decided to remain. Dr. Urrutia, who alone, I believe, has been of consistent good faith in his attempt to secure the ratification of the

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