File No. 819.154/28

The Secretary of War to the Secretary of State

The Secretary of War presents his compliments to the Honorable the Secretary of State, and acknowledging receipt of his letter of August 3, 1917,1 inclosing translation of a note from the Panaman Minister at this capital, in which, under the instruction of his Government, he asks when the work on the road system of Panama is to be commenced, has the honor to inform the Secretary of State that the papers in this case were forwarded to the Governor of the Panama Canal on June 20, 1917, with request that he prepare estimates for the construction of the roads herein referred to, it being [Page 1204] the understanding of this Department that these estimates are to be included in the regular estimates for the fiscal year 1919.