819.00/1459a: Telegram

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

52. The Secretary of State issued the following statement today:

“Presidential elections in Panama will be held on August 5th. The opposition party has submitted to the Department of State charges of fraud and corruption on the part of the Government and has alleged that free and fair elections cannot be held without American supervision and has asked that the United States intervene and supervise the elections.

A painstaking analysis of the representations made and of the documents submitted has failed to convince the Department that there is sufficient ground to authorize the intervention of the United States. While the Government has vital interests to protect in the Canal Zone and authority to intervene for the purpose of maintaining public order, the primary obligation, as the Department has heretofore stated, to conduct a free and fair election and for the maintenance of law and order in Panama rests upon the Panaman Government. Between the two parties, the United States maintains an attitude of perfect impartiality and will do nothing to help either the party in power or the opposition party. The Panaman election law places extraordinary powers and control over the election in the hands of the administration in office and correspondingly imposes grave obligations upon the Panaman Government. This Government is so deeply desirous, as contributing to the development, prosperity and well being of Panama, that there should be a free and fair election that it will follow the proceedings with the greatest interest. The Department has been assured by the Panaman Minister in Washington that his Government will administer the law in a scrupulously impartial manner as otherwise it would not expect the recognition by the Government of the United States of the successful candidates. The opposition party has stated that unless there is intervention by this Government, revolutionary activities will ensue. The Department sincerely trusts that such counsel will not prevail. Nevertheless, should such a lamentable situation arise, the Department believes the Panaman Government will be able to preserve public order. Should this unfortunately not be the case, the United States would be compelled to exercise the power granted under the treaty15 and the Constitution16 to maintain order.”

Kellogg
  1. See treaty of November 18, 1903, ibid., 1904, p. 543.
  2. See Constitution of the Republic of Panama, ibid., p. 562.