Office of the Historian

718.1915/525: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Panama (Price)

Washington, August 1, 1921—6 p.m.

61. In view of the fact that the friendly mediation of this Government in the Panama-Costa Rica boundary dispute has been accepted by both Governments, you are instructed to transmit to the Minister [Page 219] for Foreign Affairs the following formal requests which the Government of Costa Rica has requested10 this Government to forward to the Government of Panama:

  • “1. That, in fulfillment of Article 1, of the Anderson-Porras Treaty, the transfer be made of the jurisdiction over the territory now occupied by the civil authorities of Panama that lies indisputably to the north of the Punta Burica-Cerro Pando line, which, according to that Article, was held by both parties to be clear and indubitable; and,
  • 2. That, in accordance with the stipulations of Articles 1 and 7, of the same Treaty, the President of Panama appoint an engineer of his own choice to physically lay down the divisionary line and mark it by appropriate monuments.”

You are instructed to inform the Minister for Foreign Affairs at the same time that the Government of Costa Rica desires the Government of Panama to be advised that the President of Costa Rica, by virtue of the Articles of the Treaty above referred to, has appointed as engineer Señor Don Luis Matamoros. You may likewise advise the Minister for Foreign Affairs that the Government of Costa Rica is requesting the Chief Justice of the United States to appoint two members of the Boundary Commission, as provided in the Anderson–Porras Treaty.

Cable reply of the Government of Panama which will be transmitted by the Department to the Costa Rican Government.

Hughes
  1. Note of Aug. 1, from the Costa Rican Minister; not printed.↩