711F.1914/403: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Panama (Wilson)
401. Your 539, December 24, 10 a.m. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs has informed you, the Panamanian Ambassador here, because of illness has been unable to receive the Department’s reply on the 12 points. The Under Secretary was ready to hand the reply to him several weeks ago.
Careful and sympathetic consideration has been given the concern of the Panamanian Government over the possible delay in completing negotiations on certain of the 12 points. However, it is believed that under present conditions Congressional action may be far more expeditiously obtained than would formerly have been the case. You are requested to inform the appropriate Panamanian officials that the Department is proceeding at once to draft the proposed legislation on the three major Panamanian requests and to express the Department’s hope that the Panamanian Government will shortly state its willingness to accede to the arrangements which have been proposed by this Government in connection with the defense sites.