718.1915/337: Telegram
The Minister in Panama (Price) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 9—12:45 a.m.]
62. After quoting practically Legation’s note, which was in reality a paraphrase of Department’s 23, March 7, 6 p.m., the response of Panaman Minister for Foreign Affairs to same as follows:
“My Government authorizes me to state to Your Excellency that it [has] given instructions already to our military forces that they retire from Coto; but that our civil and police authorities will remain there as before the Costa Rican aggression of the 21st of last month; and that this act of Panama, inspired in the desire of putting an end [Page 184] to the armed conflict which has been imposed upon it against its will should not be interpreted in any case as an implied recognition of the White award which the Executive power, the Legislative Assembly and the public opinion of Panama have jointly refused to accept since 1914, the year in which it was rendered.
I do not wish to close, Mr. Minister, without having Your Excellency to take note that the Republic of Panama was enjoying the benefits of internal and external peace, applying itself to work, to the cultivation of the arts and the sciences, and in friendly relations with all the peoples of the earth when suddenly like a thunderbolt out of a clear’ sky fell the unexpected and unjustified attack upon it by the Government of Costa Rica. Whatever may be the result of the mediation interposed by the Government of the United States in the armed conflict which to our grief Costa Rica has imposed upon us, Panama reserves the right of establishing and of making effective in the course of the mediation the responsibilities which Costa Rica has incurred by reason of its unqualifiable attack and of demanding the obligation of indemnifying us for the damage caused and for the expenditures of the defensive expedition which by its fault we have seen the necessity of equipping and organizing.”
Panaman President in my interview this morning when I presented Department’s March 7, 6 p.m., stated that the troops would be withdrawn. I could not obtain until late this afternoon, however, a note to that effect, and the first one received stated that the Government was going to give instructions. Upon my complaint the note was changed to above after orders being telephoned for delivery to commander of the troops. About 5 p.m. U.S.S. Tacoma will reach Progreso and the neighborhood of Golfo Dulce about noon tomorrow.