711F.1914/496
The Ambassador in Panama ( Wilson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 4.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the Minister for Foreign Affairs tells me that President de la Guardia has decided not to call the National Assembly into special session to consider the Defense [Page 611] Sites Agreement until after the United States Congress has acted favorably upon the three points to be submitted to it under the Washington exchange of notes on May 18, 1942.
Dr. Fábrega said that President de la Guardia felt he would have no difficulty in obtaining approval of the Defense Sites Agreement by the National Assembly even in advance of action by the United States Congress on the Twelve Points, but that he desired to avoid any unpleasant incidents which could arise in the National Assembly through statements which might be made by certain opposition deputies recalling delays in ratification of the 1936 Treaty, alleging that Panama would probably never effectively get the benefit of the Twelve Points, etc. President de la Guardia appreciates that the two negotiations were independent of each other, and that Panama’s obligation under the 1936 Treaty was to make the defense sites available without reference to the action by the United States on the Twelve Points. Nevertheless, as the two negotiations were concluded and announced at the same time, and as public opinion in Panama inevitably links them together, he prefers, for the reason stated hereinabove, not to lay the Defense Sites Agreement before the National Assembly until after the United States Congress has acted on the Twelve Points.
I advised Dr. Fábrega informally of the information contained in the memorandum of conversation dated May 27, 1942, between Mr. Wise of RA and Colonel R. H. Brennan of the War Department.43 Dr. Fábrega was pleased to know that efforts are being made to submit the proposed legislation to Congress without delay.
Respectfully yours,
- Memorandum not printed; Colonel Brennan indicated that the War Department hoped to submit the proposed legislation on the twelve points to the Bureau of the Budget that week (711F.1914/516).↩