No. 213.
Señor Arosemena to Mr. Evarts.
New York, April 1, 1880. (Received April 2.)
Sir: On the 13th of February, I had the honor to address to your excellency a communication stating that, according to reports published in the newspapers, the Government of the United States had senta naval expedition to Chiriqui Bay, in the Atlantic Ocean, and to Dulce Gulf, in the Pacific, which was said to be connected with the establishment of coaling stations for the use of the American Navy, on lands purchased by a citizen of the United States, and sold, or about to be sold, to the government of this country.
I also remarked that, on the one hand, it was not credible that the [Page 336] lands in question had been purchased with all due legal formalities by the person who was supposed to have sold them to the Government of the United States, and that, on the other, the purchase made or contemplated by this government, and the establishment of coaling stations, or anything of the kind, required the consent of the Colombian Government, on whose territory such establishment was to take place; for which reason, if the reports published were correct, I begged your excellency to request his excellency the President to order the withdrawal of the expedition, and the suspension of all measures connected therewith, until an understanding with the Government of Colombia should have been reached.
I received no reply to my aforesaid communication I was still hoping to receive one, when the newspapers made known the fact that war vessels of this country, sailing under sealed orders, had arrived in Chiriqui Bay, where they were making surveys and soundings, without having obtained permission to do so from the authorities of the country, which, together with the people at large, regarded those operations as mysterious and alarming.
I do not entertain the same fear; that is to say, I do not believe that this examination of Chiriqui Bay has any purpose underlying it that can be considered as even remotely hostile to the United States of Colombia, whose relations with the United States of America are of the most friendly character. I do fear, however, that it is connected with the supposed purchase of lands and the projected establishment of coaling stations, both of which are liable to the objections which I have already presented to your excellency, and which I hereby repeat.
As I must hope that your excellency’s explanations will dispel any apprehensions to which the facts stated may have given rise, first in the State of Panama, and afterwards in the rest of the Colombian Union, I have thought proper to remind your excellency that my former note has remained unanswered, now that the new facts that have come to light will tend to render your answer thereto more explicit and satisfactory.
With this motive, I reiterate, &c.,