Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume V, Microfiche Supplement, American Republics

PM–40. Letter from the Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Army (Brucker)¹

Washington, April 8, 1960

Dear Wilber:

It was good of you to come over on Wednesday² to discuss Panama with us and I found the meeting most helpful. I have been pondering the various problems since our meeting and would like to set down my view as to where we stand and where we should go.

We weren’t able to come to a meeting of the minds on the civilian versus military Governor issue. Although the President has now nominated a military officer for a new term as Governor of the Zone, I think we should still establish the principle that the Governor of the Canal Zone should be a civilian.

I was delighted that you accepted my informal suggestion of Livie Merchant as the Department of State representative on the Board, when a vacancy appears, but I am not quite clear whether you accepted Livie as an individual or as a position. I think it important that the principle be established that the Department of State will be permanently represented on the Board of Directors at the Under Secretary level.

You said that you anticipated no difficulty in affirming the primacy of the Ambassador in matters relating to the government and people of Panama. I hope that this can be regularized by an executive order something along the lines of Executive Order 10575³, and I plan to send you in the near future some draft language on this for the President’s subsequent consideration.

I think we neglected to pin down the procedure for securing a policy decision on the sea level canal. It is most important that we agree to put this problem into the NSC machinery as soon as possible.

On the matter of the flag, I understand that we were agreed that no decision be taken at this time with respect to its daily display in the Zone but that on all suitable holidays the Governor should exhibit the small ceremonial crossed flags as he did on March 1.

I believe we should take our various proposals to the President for decision on a fairly urgent basis. If you would let me know in the next few days, after you have had the opportunity to consider this letter, we could then arrange a mutually convenient appointment with the President for this purpose.

With warmest personal regards,

Most sincerely,

Christian A. Herter

1. Source: Department of State, ARA/PAN Files, Lot 65 D 176, “Policy-Panama 1960.” Confidential. The source text was attached to a memorandum from Merchant to Herter dated April 8, in which Merchant suggested that, since the Secretary had failed at this meeting with Brucker on April 6 to obtain final agreement on most of his Panama proposals, the Secretary should send Brucker a letter in which he reiterated his suggestions. Merchant also recommended that the Secretary and Brucker have an early discussion of them with the President. (ARA/PAN Files, Lot 65 D 176, “Policy-Panama 1960”)
2. April 6.
3. President Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10575 on November 6, 1954. For the text, see 19 Federal Register 7249.