File No. 419.11D29/77.
Minister Price to
the Secretary of State.
No. 389.]
American Legation,
Panama,
January 25, 1915.
Sir: Supplementing my despatch No. 304 of
October 13, 1914, regarding the Cocoa Grove affair of July 4, 1912,
I have the honor to enclose a copy of my Foreign Office note of this
date transmitted to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Panama.
Feeling little hope of securing successful prosecutions in these
cases, if any at all, I would respectfully suggest the advisability
of considering the terms of an ultimatum herein and its presentation
at an early date, unless more satisfactory progress and response
shall be obtained from the officials of the Panama Government in the
very near future.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure.]
Minister Price to the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs.
No. 119.]
American Legation,
Panama,
January 25,
1915.
Excellency: I have the honor to call
your excellency’s attention to the lack of further communication
to this Legation since the date of your excellency’s note No.
4479 of September 8, 1914,10 regarding the Cocoa Grove affair of July 4,
1912.
After the receipt of said note and before my leaving in October
last on vacation I held a conference both with His Excellency,
President Belisario Porras, and with the Honorable Judge
Saturnino L. Perigault, regarding said important pending cases.
I received the impression from Judge Perigault in this
conversation on October 13 last that about three weeks
thereafter the inquiry then being conducted by him should end,
and the decision of the Superior or Criminal Judge should then
be handed down, subject to being again passed on by the Supreme
Court, in event of being adverse.
In view of the exceeding interest taken by my Government in these
distressing happenings and the unceasing attempts on my part to
impress your excellency’s Government with the determination of
my Government to be satisfied with nothing less than full and
proper redress herein, I must confess a large disappointment in
this another provoking delay.
[Page 1164]
I have again waited, since my return, hoping for voluntary and
satisfying communication from your excellency’s Government
before reiterating the solicitude of my Government in these
cases. Such communication has not been forthcoming.
I am therefore impelled to be insistent and emphatic beyond the
degree that it is ever pleasant to reach, and, referring to the
repeated demands firmly but courteously presented to your
excellency’s Government in this matter, respectfully to advise
your excellency that further continued delays and replies of a
like unsatisfactory character to those in the past can be
susceptible of only the most regretful construction.
I await the response of your excellency with eagerness and avail
[etc.]
