611.19/11–1054

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland)

confidential

Subject:

  • United States—Panama Treaty Negotiations
  • Participants: The President
  • Sr. Harmodio Arias, Adviser to the Remon Government on United States—Panama Treaty Negotiations
  • Assistant Secretary Henry F. Holland

Mr. Arias delivered to the President the original of a letter from President Remon1 and an enclosure. The President read them and stated that the letter and enclosure raised a number of technical points upon which he was not sufficiently well informed to comment. Mr. Arias said that copies had been delivered to the Department of State. The President said that he felt sure that Secretary Dulles and those associated with him would work on these matters sympathetically. The President said that we valued highly our relations with Panama because our association in the Canal was one for eternity. He said that he personally liked Panama and liked President Remon and wanted all matters rising between us to be studied with interest and sympathy.

Mr. Arias said the points remaining for discussion between us, in his judgment, involved questions of phraseology rather than of substance.

  1. Not found in Department of State files.