Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 8, 1914

File No. 419.11D29/55.

Minister Price to the Secretary of State.

No. 144.]

American Legation,
Panama, April 25, 1914.

Sir: Referring again to the matter of the demands of our Government growing out of the Cocoa Grove disturbances of July 4, 1912, and acknowledging the Department’s telegram of April 20, I have the honor to report that I have transmitted another Foreign Office note to Señor Lefevre, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, insistently urging settlement of these matters without further delay. A copy of said note is enclosed.

Sr. Lefevre today reported to me that Judge Arosemena, before whom the judicial proceedings in the matter are pending, would hand down his decision in the case the first days of next week; that both of them had agreed that it would be best for his decision then to be referred to the Supreme Court, composed of five judges, for their review before giving it out; that he would urge immediate action by them and that he was sure their judgment would be rendered within the next fifteen days. Judge Arosemena is the Superior Judge of the Republic, having sole jurisdiction of the higher crimes.

Sr. Lefevre, of course, has excuses for the delays in the case and took occasion to say that the evidence in the case was not definite in pointing out any specific individuals guilty of the assaults charged, and that if the soldiers and marines on the night in question had been in charge of patrols, as Panama had more than once demanded, the trouble would not have occurred. I not only made response to these observations, but emphasized again that our Government was unalterably of the opinion that Panama’s police was grievously at fault in this matter and that fall reparation must be made. He promised a formal response to my note by next Tuesday and that he would hurry a conclusion of the whole matter as fast as possible.

I think his comments above mentioned foreshadow a judicial “whitewashing” and the necessity of continued vigorous pressure to obtain any substantial satisfaction.

I have [etc.]

Wm. Jennings Price

.

[Inclosure.]

Minister Price to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

No. 48.]

American Legation,
Panama, April 24, 1914.

Excellency: I have the honor again to refer to my notes Nos. 40 and 46 of the dates respectively of April 9 and April 18 last, and to your excellency’s note No. S-3476, of the last-named date, to which said note No. 46 was a reply, having reference to the matter of the Cocoa Grove affair of July 4, 1912; and further to inform your excellency that I am now in receipt of another cablegram from my Government vigorously insisting upon a satisfactory and prompt settlement of this whole affair.

With due regard to every consideration of courtesy and good will, I would assure your excellency that the insistency and emphasis have been sincere with which I have attempted to impress your excellency ever since coming to this mission with the importance which my Government puts upon a full, satisfactory, and prompt settlement by your excellency’s Government of our expectancies and demands in this wretched affair; and I must respectfully ask that the patience of my Government shall not be further unduly provoked in this matter.

I avail myself [etc.],

Wm. Jennings Price

.