File No. 319.112 R 15/128.

The American Minister to the Secretary of State .

[Extract]
No. 97.]

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.]

H. Percivical Dodge.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Minister .

No. 794.]

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].

Eduardo Chiari.