711.1928/365: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Panama (Summerlin)
20. Your 56, April 27, 11 a.m.36 At the conference which Minister Alfaro had with President Roosevelt on April 24 the President expressed the following views regarding the annuity matter: that to seek special legislation of the Congress would be thoroughly impracticable and unwise. The President, briefly, will not adopt any such course. He stated that the only practicable way of accomplishing what both Governments desire is to make provision for the annuity in a treaty between the two countries. The President pointed out that the United States has now formally and officially proposed to Panama the inclusion of an article in the General Treaty by which the United States will pay $430,000 annually beginning with the 1934 annuity. The President added that there thus has not been and cannot be the slightest doubt of the firm intention and determination of the Government of the United States to meet Panama’s wishes in this matter, and it becomes incumbent on both Governments to do everything that lies in their power to hasten the conclusion of the proposed treaty which offers the only legal and practicable means of accomplishing this purpose.
Please call on President Arias and advise him of the foregoing.
- Not printed.↩