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234 Amador. He remained some minutes before recovering his sang-froid. Then he continued in the following terms:

"There is to-day only a weak Colombian garrison at Panama. * * * A revolution would to-day meet with no obstacles. But the Colombians have the command of the sea; their ships' crews are loyal. We must first, therefore, acquire a fleet to prevent Colombia from overwhelming with her troops the province of Panama.

"Besides that we want arms. It was to obtain ships and arms that I have come here. Our first envoy. Captain Beers, had been assured, and the same pledge was repeated to me when I came, that the United States would give us all the money we needed to buy arms and ships and to pay the troops."

"How big a sum do you consider necessary?"

"We need $6,000,000."

"My dear Doctor," answered Bunau-Varilla,