File No. 319.112 R 15/128.
The American Minister to
the Secretary of State.
[Extract]
No. 97.]
American Legation,
Panama,
March 23, 1912.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your instruction No. 34, of February 19th last, relative to
[etc.]. According to your directions I laid the facts of this matter
before Señor Chiari, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in the sense of your
instruction, also handing to him an aide mémoire embodying the substance
of my verbal communication. * * *
On the 13th instant I received a note dated the 12th instant, a copy and
translation of which are enclosed. * * *
Señor Chiarí has since informed me verbally that the policeman No. 667
serving at Bocas del Toro under the name of Balbino Palma has been
ascertained to be Indalecio Franco and has accordingly also been
dismissed. Señor Chiarí further stated that to prevent any further
reinstatement of these men, their photographs had been taken and sent to
all the police stations in the Republic.
I have thought well to have Señor Chiari’s statements confirmed by, the
Zone Police who now inform me that it is a fact that these three men
have been dismissed and duly photographed. I have accordingly verbally
stated to Señor Chiari my appreciation of his Government’s disavowal and
expressions of regret and of its prompt action.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to the American
Minister.
No. 794.]
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Panama,
March 12, 1912.
Mr. Minister: I have the honor to refer to
your excellency’s memorandum of yesterday in regard to the
appointment to the police of some of the individuals who took part
in the Buffalo affair.
[Page 1264]
I have taken great pains to investigate the facts reported by your
excellency and can inform you as follows:
Unfortunately it is true that Paulino Macías and Abelardo Bustos were
serving in this city as policemen. Prom data which I have before me,
furnished by the commander of the police, it appears that the said
individuals were appointed by the ex-Commander Señor Leonidas
Pretelt, on August 2, 1911, and November 11, 1909, respectively.
In compliance with instructions issued by His Excellency the
President of the Republic, the individuals mentioned have been this
day dismissed from the police and every proper means has been taken
so that there may not be the slightest complaint on this account in
the future.
In regard to Indalecio Franco, I take the liberty to inform your
excellency that from the latest list of the personnel of the Bocas
del Toro police which can be consulted, which is dated February 20
last, there is in that city no person by that name in the Government
service. Your excellency states that Franco was reinstated as number
669 and this number corresponds to Policeman Balbino Palma. However,
as it may be possible that he has been appointed since February 20,
the commander of the police yesterday telegraphed to Bocas del Toro
ordering his dismissal in case he has been reinstated.
The Government was in ignorance of and sincerely regrets what has
happened, which can only be explained in the following manner:
In accordance with the decree organizing the police, it is the
commander who appoints and dismisses all the policemen. Probably the
chief of police at the time when Macías and Bustos were reinstated
did not have in mind the circumstance that these individuals were
dismissed from the police owing to their behavior in the affair
referred to, since it is not credible that he could have intended to
cause the least mortification to your excellency’s Government.
With assurances [etc].
