The Secretary of State to
Minister Dawson.
Department of State,
Washington, April 19,
1909.
No. 87.]
Sir: Referring to your telegrams of the 23d and
27th ultimo, already confirmed, I inclose for your information copies of
the notes exchanged between the Colombian and Panaman ministers at this
capital concerning an alleged declaration by the Panaman minister as to
the meaning of the words “región de Jurado.”
These copies were given to the department by the Colombian Legation.
It is unnecessary to reiterate the ardent hope of this Government that
these treaties may be ratified at the earliest practicable moment.
For your own information I will add that the department does not at the
present moment feel called upon to express any formal opinion as to the
interpretation of the boundary situation between Colombia and
Panama.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure
1—Translation.]
The Colombian
Minister to the Panaman
Minister.
Legacion de Colombia,
Washington, March 1,
1909.
My Dear Mrá Minister: It is necessary for
me to write to Bogota preparing the road for the arbitration we have
agreed upon, and it should be most gratifying to me if Y. E. would
do me the favor to ratify in writing the words that you employed
referring to this at the time we were finishing the discussion on
the treaty. I refer to our having agreed to avoid any description of
the territory subject of dispute, which might come to darken the
deliberations of the tribunal, and having asked what Y. E.
understood by the words “region de Jurado,” you answered in these or
similar words: “As minister of Panama, and a signatory to this
treaty, I must state that in my opinion what is called “region de
Jurado” is bounded toward the east, to wit, toward Colombian
territory, by the course of the River Jurado.” And that in
consequence we did agree to accept in the writing of the treaty the
words “region de Jurado.”
I beg Y. E. to excuse my troubling you and assuring Y. E. of my
sincere thanks for a gratifying reply. I, etc.
[Page 394]
[Inclosure
2—Translation.]
The Panaman Minister
to the Colombian Minister.
Legacion de Panama,
Washington, March 6,
1909.
No. 3.]
My Dear Mr. Minister and Esteemed
Colleague: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your
excellency’s kind note of the 1st instant, requesting the
ratification of certain declarations which I made by word to your
excellency before the signature of the treaties between our
respective countries respecting my opinion as to what is mentioned
in the treaty as the Jurado region. (La region de jurado.)
Your excellency will remember that on giving my opinion as to what I
considered was comprised within “la region de Jurado,” I pointed out
to your excellency that I was ready to reiterate my words in case
that if at the time of submitting the question to arbitration any
dispute should arise between the arbitrators touching what is called
in the treaty as “la region de Jurado.” I am ready to fulfill this
declaration when the circumstances require it; I truly regret not to
do it at this moment, as I consider it premature since no question
has yet been risen about the interpretation of the words “la region
de Jurado.”
The facts that the treaties between Colombia and Panama, the United
States and Panama, and Colombia and the United States have not yet
been ratified by all the countries, and that the ratifications have
not been exchanged yet, has also influenced upon my mind not to
accede to your excellency’s wishes.
Accept, etc.,
