File No. 319.1123L25/57
The Secretary of State to Minister Price
Washington, June 30, 1917.
Sir: The Department has received your No. 1418 of the 8th instant, marked confidential, in which you ask for further instruction regarding the presentation of claims against the Government of Panama growing out of the riot in the city of Colon on April 2, 1915.
The Department is of the opinion that it will not be necessary to obtain copies of the testimony taken by the Panaman authorities during their investigation of this case.
The Department approves your suggestion that it might be better first to demand of the Panaman Government indemnities in the full amount claimed and to defer, for the time being, any expression of willingness to arbitrate the claims.
As to General Plummer’s suggestion regarding the case of Privates Klimp and Deloughery, the Department regrets that as these persons are not, and were not at the time the injuries were sustained, American citizens, it could not properly press diplomatic claims in their behalf. However, you may point out to General Plummer that these soldiers may desire to take up with their respective Governments the matter of their claims against the Government of Panama. Should they decide to pursue this course the Department would, upon request, furnish them copies of the evidence in its possession bearing on their particular cases.
I am [etc.]