File No. 419.11D29/47.
The American Minister to the Secretary of State.
Panama, November 15, 1913.
Sir: Supplementing my despatch No. 15 of October 29, 1913,1 in which I refer to the fact that the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama, had assured me that the incident of the 4th of July. 1912, at Cocoa Grove district, Panama, in which one American was killed and certain others wounded, was being given attention, I have the honor to inform the Department that I have insistently urged upon the Secretary of Foreign Affairs from time to time the importance of this pending matter and insisted on a definite and satisfactory reply from his Government to our demands in this case. He has declared that his Government felt it most necessary [Page 1080] to get returned the letters rogatory heretofore sent by his Government for the purpose of obtaining the testimony of various witnesses in this matter, one particularly from Brazil, and that the former Minister here, my predecessor, had expressed his desire that this testimony be in the files before final action in the case.
I expressed to him my opinion that this testimony was of a cumulative character and not absolutely necessary in consideration of the merits of the case, and that there had been great patience already shown by our Government in its dealings with the Panaman Government regarding this matter.
The Secretary of Foreign Affairs has now requested me to withhold for the time being a Foreign Office note from this Legation regarding this matter, which I informed him I should have to draft in rather vigorous terms, and has assured me that he is discussing the matter with various officials of his Government for the purpose of replying to our Government in a manner calculated to bring about a satisfactory settlement of our demands.
I shall continue to press this matter and the Department will be advised as to its further developments.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩