File No. 5025/85–88.
The Secretary of State to Minister Squiers.
Washington, April 19, 1909.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 456, of the 25th ultimo, reporting your interview with the President of Panama regarding the presence in that republic of --- and other alleged revolutionists against the Governments of Venezuela and Colombia.
In reply I have to say that it is apparently the purpose of revolutionists against both Venezuela and Colombia to make the territory of Panama a headquarters for operations against the respective countries. With a Venezuelan nucleus already established there, as would appear from your dispatch, it is not at all unlikely that Señor Castro had in view the possible establishment of headquarters there where he could receive arms and munitions from any quarter and where he would severely test the ability of the Panaman Government to preserve strict neutrality. In that case it would be pertinent for the United States to consider what relations we would bear to the question in the light of our treaty with Panama. The first article of the treaty in terms guarantees the independence of Panama against all enemies. This being so we have a moral right to prevent Panama from getting into a controversy with any government which might eventually require the United States to take part in the controversy and support Panama. It certainly was not contemplated that Panama was at liberty to enter upon any wrongful quarrel on the assurance that she would have the support of the United States. Moreover, the relation of Panama to the Canal Zone is to be considered as well as our right to protect that zone from any disturbances or violations of international law on its immediate border. We have asserted the right to see that nothing shall occur to disturb the tranquility in the adjacent Panaman territory, as, for instance, in our supervision of the recent elections to insure orderly fairness. If Colombian revolutionists plot in Panama against the peace of Colombia, or if the Castro Venezuelans make Panaman territory a base of operations to disturb the internal tranquility of Venezuela, with which Republic the United States are in relations of peace, and if Panama is unable or unwilling to discharge the duty of neutrality which she owes as much [Page 470] to the United States as to the law of nations, we should have the moral right to intervene and procure neutrality.
You state that the President of Panama said that he feared that there was no law to warrant or justify the expulsion from the Republic of those who threatened the peace of friendly foreign States and thus imperiled the interests of the State of their asylum.
It is the understanding of this department that the expulsion of such conspirators is recognized by all Latin-American States as an indefeasible right of sovereign self-protection, needing no law for its exercise and prohibited by no law.
From a telegram of April 10 from Col. Goethals to the War Department the department is glad to infer that the administration of President Obaldia is in entirely substantial accord with the view of the United States as to the proper attitude toward revolutionists in such circumstances as Messrs. Castro and Angulo.
I am, etc.,