Minister Barrett to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.—Paraphrase.]

(Mr. Barrett reports that a difficulty occurred between 200 Jamaican waterworks laborers and 50 policemen at Panama on the 27th instant, and that a number of them were wounded. The trouble originated by the laborers objecting to the food they had received, and refusing to work. The aid of the police was invoked by the American foreman. The laborers are to blame for forcibly resisting the police and the latter for attacking the laborers when they were not offending. A recurrence of the trouble is being prevented by the cooperation of the Panama Government and the legation.)