File No. 319.1123L25/15.
Minister Price to
the Secretary of State.
[Extract.]
No. 607.]
American Legation,
Panama,
September 8, 1915.
Sir: Referring to the Department’s
instruction No. 163 of July 23 and to my despatch No. 599 of August
30, I have the honor to transmit a copy of my reply, sent September
4, to said note of Señor Lefevre.
About the time of the transmission of this note Señor Lefevre called
me over the telephone, saying that a few days before he had had a
meeting of a number of their judicial officers, their Attorney
General and the Governor of the Province of Panama at the
President’s palace; that he had read to them two of my notes and had
attempted to impress upon them the necessity of diligence in these
matters and had stated to them that if their police control in the
cities of Panama and Colon were eventually taken from Panama, they
must consider themselves partially to blame for it.
He said that he had a stenographer present and would send me a report
of the proceedings. He remarked that he believed one beneficial
result had already been obtained as he had that day been informed
that the Supreme Court had affirmed the sentence of the lower court
against Juan Antonio Almangor for stabbing, Mr. E. L. Rahlin, of the
U. S. S. Denver, nearly two years ago. * *
*
I am convinced that the same dilatory tactics will be utilized by
Panama as were followed in the riot of July 4, 1912, and that
effective and earnest prosecution will not be had unless Panama is
made to feel, in default thereof, a real danger of our exercising
our rights under article 7 of the Canal Treaty of 1903 with
reference to taking over their police forces in the cities of Panama
and Colon.
I doubt exceedingly whether any sustained energetic action will
result from the meeting referred to above, even granting that
sincere efforts were indulged in there, unless forceful demands on
our part are continued in conjunction with the threats, at the very
least, as to loss of their police control.
I respectfully solicit the further instruction of the Department.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure.]
Minister Price to the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs.
No. 217.]
American Legation,
Panama,
September 4,
1915.
Excellency: Acknowledging the receipt
of your excellency’s note No. S–7796 of August 28, 1915, in
response to my notes Nos. 196, 203, 206 and 210, having relation
[etc.], I have the honor to express to your excellency much
surprise and disappointment over the failure of said response of
your excellency to furnish any but a small part of the
information asked for and over the indefinite and unsatisfactory
character of such as was furnished.
I most respectfully call to the attention of your excellency that
I have been informed that, in accordance with the agreement made
promptly after the occurrence of this riot, there could be
nothing in connection with the investigation
[Page 1213]
conducted by the authorities of
your excellency’s Government which could be of such a private
nature as would prevent the information being furnished which
was requested on behalf of my Government in my note No. 196 of
nearly two months ago; that such information, too, would be
available from other than the one particular source referred to
in your excellency’s said note.
The interest of my Government in this whole matter is so great
and the importance of the results of an earnest and diligent and
sincere redress of the whole situation by your excellency’s
Government or the reverse thereof is believed to be fraught with
such potentialities for your excellency’s Government quite as
much as for my own, that I must refer specifically to each of
the questions asked in my said note No. 196, and with all due
respect urge and insist upon the transmission with proper
promptness to my Government of the information sought by
them.
In order for my Government to have official knowledge as to the
official or officials of your excellency’s Government upon whom
the responsibility rests both directly and indirectly for the
fulfillment of obligations and duties arising as the result of
these riots, the following additional information is
respectfully requested:
First: The name of the Mayor of Colon referred to in your
excellency’s note and by whom he was appointed to office.
Second: The name of the Judge of the Colon Circuit and by whom he
was appointed to office.
Third: The name of the Superior Judge and by whom he was
appointed to office.
Fourth: The names and by whom they were appointed to office of
all other judges and of the prosecuting attorney or attorneys
who have all had to do officially with the matters growing out
of said Colon riot and also of the riot taking place in the City
of Panama on February 14 last; and likewise the same information
as to the judges and prosecuting attorneys, who under the laws
of your excellency’s Government may yet have official connection
with said matters, if they have not already had such
connection.
It is hoped that certain of the information requested will, when
furnished by your excellency, explain why important witnesses
among our American soldiers to the events occurring in Colon
have not been thus far utilized by the authorities of your
excellency’s Government, although our military authorities stood
ready to present them whenever notified, which willingness was
at the inception cordially expressed to the authorities of your
excellency’s Government and again made reference to in my said
note No. 196.
I avail [etc.]
