File No. 819.55/3.
The American Minister to the Secretary of State.
Panama, March 16, 1913.
Sir: Referring to my telegram of March 15, I have the honor to enclose the text of this bill as presented to the Assembly by the Administration. I also enclose a translation of this bill which I have made.1
This bill modifies the former laws on the subject of the immigration of persons of these races, except North Africans, that is, Arabs, Egyptians and Moors, whose immigration has not previously been regulated; these former laws are Laws 6 of 1904 and 28 of 1909. Its provisions will be noted to be extremely severe although it is probable that they will be made less so before its passage. It is also very probable that the provision in it as to permitting the introduction of Chinese coolies under contract to labor on plantations will be struck out. Meanwhile there is of course very considerable excitement among the Chinese colony here who are extremely prosperous and number about three thousand in Panama and Colon alone, many of whom have been introduced into the country through the fraudulent complicity of Panaman officials. The Chinese Consul General called upon me lately in this connection and advised me that he had reported on the bill to the Chinese Minister at Washington from whom however he had as yet received no instructions. No doubt that there is a wide-spread feeling among the Panamans that the Chinese, in spite of the present laws, are becoming too numerous here and are absorbing too much of the business.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩