Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 7, 1915

File No. 819.74/71.

Minister Price to the Secretary of State.

[Extract.]

No. 540.]

American Legation,
Panama, June 22, 1915.

Sir: In the matter of our control of wireless telegraphy in the Republic of Panama and referring to the last communication between the Department and the Legation in connection with the subject, being instruction No. 79 of December 2, 1914, and despatch No. 366 of December 28, 1914, I have the honor to report that in the course of a conversation with Señor Lefevre, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama, last week, he remarked that now since our radio station known as the Darien station located on the Panama Canal was in use, his Government felt that we should begin transmitting their messages over it to Bocas del Toro free of charge, stating that since we stopped the sending of radio messages from the Bay of Colon from stations on the ships of the United Fruit Company, Panama had been making use of the cable from Colon to Port Limon in Costa Rica, and the message would then have to go back to Bocas del Toro for delivery.

I have talked with Lieut. Crenshaw in charge of our radio service, and he tells me that ever since we took control of the ship station in Colon Bay we have been transmitting through our Colon land station messages for the Panaman Government; that a charge is made on such messages by the Fruit Company on account of use of the receiving station at Bocas del Toro of five cents a word; that he does not know what arrangement existed between the Fruit Co. and Panama prior thereto as to charges on messages sent through their ship stations. Lieut. Crenshaw says the Fruit Company charges our Government twelve cents a word on official messages between said points.

It is most likely that the Fruit Company charged Panama the same amount formerly and that in consideration of the control given us in said matter Señor Lefevre is soliciting that our Government assume all such charges. I understand Panama has free use of the cable aforesaid.

Señor Lefevre followed this conversation by transmitting a note on Saturday last a copy of which and of its translation is enclosed. He again takes up the matter of erection of stations in Panaman territory for their use, a topic he did not refer to in the conversation aforesaid.

I have [etc.]

Wm. Jennings Price.

[Inclosure—Translation.]

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs to Minister Price.

No. S–7000.]

Foreign Office,
Panama, June 17, 1915.

Mr. Minister: Your excellency will remember that, at the time of the issuing by the Executive Power of Decree No. 130 of August 29, 1914, yielding control to the Government of the United States of America of the radio-telegraphic communications in the territory and adjacent waters of the Republic of Panama, you told me that, on the part of the Government of your excellency, there was not implied any lack of knowledge as to the necessities which Panama has in the question of radio-telegraphy.

The work of colonization and civilization in the rich region of San Blas having been started by the Government of the Republic, the undersigned thinks that the moment has arrived for establishing a wireless station by the United States at the entrance of the gulf of the same name, to be followed by similar stations in the bays of Puerto Obaldia and Darien, which are the most urgent, in accordance with what I told your excellency in the note to which I have above referred.

Likewise the Government of Panama desires that the practice should be commenced which was offered by your excellency in the name of your Government, in Foreign Office note No. 30, of February 16, 1914, of transmitting and receiving, free of charge, in the wireless stations all official communications of the Panaman Government.

I allow myself to beg of your excellency that you will use your good offices so that your Government may yield to these expressed desires, and with thanks in advance I take this Opportunity [etc.]

E. T. Lefevre.