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ANOTHER NEW REPUBLIC

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 18, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 46.

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ANOTHER NEW REPUBLIC.

THERE is another new republic below the Gulf of Mexico, the Republic of Panama, comprising simply what was formerly the State of Panama, belonging to the Republic of Colombia. This new republic is about the size of Guatemala or Costa Rica, and the latest available statistics give it a population of less than 300,000.
When the leading spirits in the revolution had secured the government offices and declared the independence of Panama, application was at once made to the Government of the United States for its recognition, and this was given on November 6, both Colombia and Panama being notified of the recognition of the new republic. The officer in charge of the Colombian troops at Colon, seeing that he would be overpowered, sailed away with his troops on November 5, while the government troops stationed at Penonome joined the revolutionary movement. Only two lives, so far, have been lost as a result of the revolution, and these were Chinese who were killed by the Colombian gunboat Bogota, which shelled the city of Panama without giving the usual notice. The President of the United States has advised the two republics to settle their difficulties without a resort to bloodshed, and under the treaty by which the United States is given the right to preserve neutrality along the Panama Railroad, Colombia will probably be prevented by the United States from landing troops on the Isthmus. Colombia has protested to the United States against the recognition of the new republic.
The other nations of the world seem to be willing to leave the United States to deal with matters on the isthmus. It is stated that Italy, Great Britain, and France will soon recognize the independence of Panama. To them one republic more or less in that unsettled part of the world is not a matter of great moment.
Advices from Washington state that as soon as a regular established government takes the place of the present junta which is conducting Panama’s affairs now, negotiations will be entered into for the construction of the Panama Canal. It is quite evident that the Panama Canal is the cause of the Panama Republic.