711F.1914/403: Telegram
The Ambassador in Panama (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:57 p.m.]
539. Reference my letter to the Under Secretary of December 444 reporting conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs regarding the 12 points. Yesterday afternoon the Minister said to me the following: The President is greatly concerned over the delay in completing the negotiations on the 12 points and the lease contract and feels his Government is being criticized here because of the delay. He had hoped to make progress before this but the illness of the Panamanian Ambassador at Washington has prevented it. He appreciates that it was agreed that negotiations on the 12 points would take place in Washington but in view of the Ambassador’s illness the President now asks that I transmit to the State Department the following request: That the United States Government agrees now that simultaneously with reaching agreement on the lease contract the United States Government will by executive action, without necessity of awaiting action by Congress, turn the railroad lots over to Panama and liquidate the credit for the Rio Hato Highway.
Please instruct.
- Not printed.↩