Show effi efficiency chency cause of soldier 1 in to ri jail I 1 w t american sergeants activities incur hostility of panama politicians washington the flies of the state department contain many claims of american citizens who feel they have buffered complete denial dellal of justice in foreign countries but few more col erful than that of abraham solomon who served as a private corporal and sergeant in the thirty third united states infantry in panama during the world war solomon was as in boston when the united states entered the great war ar ue he immediately enlisted in tile the army and was unexpectedly assigned to tho the panama canal zone to strengthen the american armed forces there speaking spanish fluently solomon spent roost most of ills his period of enlistment on special duty in the province of Ch iriqui which borders bolderson bor derson on costa allea under the direction of the department intelligence of officer fleer nis job was to run down cattle thieves bandits murderers and outlaws and to gather information of a confidential confident fill character among other things lie he investigated the estates of deceased american citizens and other foreigners more espe claley where there were reports of irregularities lodged in jail ilia his work was so BO satisfactory that he was vas strongly recommended for tile the distinguished 5 service ervice medal by major IL pace post commander con inlander and first aleut ethridge colby company commander and assistant stant department intelligence telli gence officer t instead of winning tills this medal however some time litter after ills his honorable discharge from tho the army he be was lodged in a panama jail under tinder sentence to serve two years and actually spent about halt half that time in tile aock up in apprehending criminals ho he had incurred the hostility of powerful politicians tic ians including the then president Bells Bell urlo sarlo porras forms and ricardo J alfaro then secretary of government and justice in the porras cabinet and now pajamas panamas Pa nals minister to the united states and numerous lessor lesser political lights in panama city and in Ch Iriqui solomon claims ills his conviction was a deliberate frame up and the records seem to substantiate this view in fact the united states government through our minister in panama city made so much fuss about it that the panama authorities on several occasions sought to undo their work and get rid of the mess controversy hot solomon sidestepped several f to escape both before nud and 1 after tits his conviction ile he spur spurned tied an all offer of a commission as lieutenant in the panama national police declaring that if he wits was guilty of a crime he should remain in jail and not have authority over the police lie ile was at oni time offered the freedom of tile the city of panama but declined it tile the controversy over solomons case became so hot that former secretary of state demanded ills his unconditional dit ional pardon president porras declared he had no authority over the I 1 supreme court of panama which had confirmed ills his conviction by majority vote the president of the court holding he was subject only to a small line in the light of the facts developed at the trial and tile the attorney gen general eral of bonama 11 anama taking tailing the same view lacking a n pardon tho the american minister then julin john 0 south of kentucky was directed fly by sir mr hughus to take troops from the canal zone and effot solomona wense release when advised of this situation So solomon lonion expressed ills his deep appreciation hut but advised tile the minister that if force was used bed to effect ils Is release tile the panama government would immediately broadcast propaganda about how her sovereignty wits being trampled upon and thereby embarrass lie united stampa government under tile circumstances lie preferred to remain in fit jail warned president minister south warned resident president porras that Pan pitin would nuy dearly for every day So solomon lonion remained ineil lu in jail on three dIf different Terent occasions occasions when they thought the lie american minister inister in fus as not looking the panama authorities sought to transfer so from the prison in panama city to tile lie C achl ill roqui prison preparatory to sending hlin him to conlin coahn island miles out in the pacific ocean from which prison ers are said never to return alltis minister gler south however got will wind of tile the move every time and put a stop to it in an article in current Ill history story fr for july 1020 lieutenant colby after describing the lawless conditions exist ing in Ch iriqui 1 in 1018 alien amerl can soldiers were sent into that brov ince with headquarters at david tile lie capital speaking of solomon said and there was an all enlisted man in tile the detachment Abra abraham hato solomon by name who was was so influential in achl ill diqui affairs that lie he was ats familiarly called the mayor of david lie ile per captured most of tile the cattle Ili thieves leves apprehended and turned them over to the Nac lonale nale for capt juan Crini Orl aldo chief of police in the province to take credit american troops were sent seat to david at the request of tile panama government to help suppress political disturbances tur bances and keep an eye on oil the elections in 1018 1918 the provincial ali authorities thorl among other things hod had been un nn able to apprehend the murderers of two american citizens there were numerous reports of judicial injustice solomon was so BO success successful ul in running down offenders against the law and digging up the facts with regard to irregularities in the linn handling illing of the estates of deceased foreigners foreign ern that ills soon brought a storm of complaints from politicians and others who were hurt by them Is offered commission ft was about six after his vint doctor alfaro made the offer of a 0 lieutenancy in tile the national ii at police organization two mouths before solomon had been tendered the nelre city of panama as a jail and had declined the offer tie he told colonel limit lint lie he could not accept a 0 commission corn lu in the lie police adding it if I 1 urn am guilty of a crime I 1 should stay in jail and if I 1 nm am innocent then turn jurn tile rue loose colonel lamb called a second time find and renewed rene ived the offer acting on df D lor or alfaros order solomon again spurned the alie offer on december M n 1022 doctor char alus who succeeded doctor alfaro ns as secretory secretary of government and justice called in person nt at the jail and told solomon he was uns u ns a free man remen cering other tricks solomon demanded to know whether tits ills release unconditional and not a mere parole doctor chairing charring Ch arring assured aliu empsall cally it was and congratulated him film A few days later inter solomon was in f formed ri ed that lie he was wanted by the governor governor of panama Pa tinnin province he 11 e immediately and was told ht must take his parole papers lie he protested vigorously and demanded to be returned to jall declaring lie he refused release on parole with the old of a criminal conviction hanging on him several members of the senate have taken an all interest in solomons Solon lobs case cage and communicated with the state department part ment all li have ave been advised that the bew treaty with panama Pan nina which the he legislature legisla turp of the isthmian republic to late dale has failed to ratify provides for the setting up of commissions to adjudicate claims of ameil amed enn can citizens against panama and claims of panamanians ians against the united states the treaty was negotiated two years ago solomons claim had then been pending for three years and tie he Is hero here now urging action regardless of the of the treaty fly by panama liotti both lie and members of tile the senate have been informed its his claim will be pressed by bythe the state ante department whenever a commission Is provided to licar hear it |