File No. 819.55/11.
The American Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State.
Panama, June 30, 1913.
Sir: I have the honor to report that since the date of my despatch No. 473 of the 18th instant I have had several interviews with Señor Lefevre, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, as also with Mr. King, the Chinese Consul General. * * * Señor Lefevre assured me that a suspension of the law would be impossible but said that the attitude of his Government was now more lenient as to the enforcement of its more objectionable provisions, the chief of which seemed to be the tax of $250 United States currency levied on all Chinese who had entered the country since 1904. He said that while this tax might not be abrogated or amended without special act of the Assembly, he thought it could be rendered less burdensome by permitting its payment over a long period of time and in installments of $20 to $30 monthly. On my return to the Legation I was informed that the President in the meantime had expressed the opinion to the delegates that although the tax could not be reduced, an extension of time for its enforcement of from eight to ten months might be granted; which if true would indicate that there is still an uncertainty of purpose on the part of the Government with regard to the enforcement of the Law.
On the following day I had a second interview with Señor Lefevre, the result of which I communicated to the Department in my telegram of June 28. * * *
I communicated the result of this interview this morning to the Chinese Consul General who came to the Legation and expressed himself as pleased at the result. He assured me that he offered no objection to the taking of the census of his people or to their registration, except upon certain disputed points, particularly on the ground that the fee of $3.00 United States currency provided for in Art. 7 of the law was an infringement of the constitutional rights of [Page 1115] his people, upon which point he promised to submit objections in legal form.
With regard to the Government’s proposal to summon a special session of the Assembly in August, to reduce the tax, the Chinese Consul General assured me that his Government would prefer a suspension of the law as it now stands of from twelve to twenty months to its reconsideration by the National Assembly, even with the certainty of a reduction in the tax and the abrogation of the other objectionable features of the Law, as the former would afford time to his Government for the establishment of a Legation at Panama.
I am therefore prepared to press this matter again with Señor Lefevre if it is considered advisable by the Department, believing, in view of the attitude of the President, that something may be accomplished in this direction; although it seems at present more likely that the Government will try to secure from the Chinese even a smaller amount than was at first anticipated, rather than have the whole matter postponed, thus inviting a possible attack upon the constitutionality of the law or else the establishment of a Chinese legation and the settlement of the matter, by treaty. * * *
I have [etc.]