File No. 819.77/129.

The American Minister to the Secretary of State .

[Telegram.—Paraphrase.]

Department’s telegram of May 31. The Minister of Public Works is apparently disposed to sign the contract, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs assures me that if signed it will conform to all the conditions of that telegram. He adds, however, that it would seem not proper for the present administration to sign a contract of this nature, as it has only five more weeks of tenure, especially as the President-elect, Porras, recently informed me that he did not approve of constructing this section of the Panamá-David railroad first.

Dodge.