ASSISTANCE BY UNITED STATES TROOPS IN QUELLING RIOTS IN PANAMA CITY 819.00/1206: Telegram The Chargé in Panama (Munro) to the Secretary of State PANAMA, October 11, 1925-9 a. m. [Received October 12-10: 15 a. m.] 95. One person was killed and eleven wounded in a riot which occurred in Santa Ana Plaza last night when Tenants' League under the leadership of foreign and Panaman labor agitators attempted to hold a meeting in defiance of decree of the municipal authorities. Police fired on the mob after unsuccessful efforts to disperse the meeting by peaceful means and after shots had been fired by rioters. Order was soon restored. MUNRO 819.00/1207: Telegram The Chargé in Panama (Munro) to the Secretary of State PANAMA, October 12, 1925-11 a. m. 96. My 95, October 11, 9 a. m. Minor disturbances continued throughout yesterday and last night, chauffeurs and street-car employees went on strike paralyzing traffic. Private owners of automobiles, including Americans, have been molested by crowds. The Minister of Foreign Affairs this morning formally asked me to have 300 American troops sent into the city to assist Panaman police in maintaining order. He stated that disturbances resulting in serious bloodshed would occur this morning unless this cooperation were extended and that while the Panaman Government could dominate the situation it could not keep transportation services operating or extend adequate protection to foreigners without help. Since there appeared to be a real emergency in view of intense excitement of laboring classes throughout the city and reported disaffection of part of police force and firemen, I communicated the Government's request to the Acting Governor of Canal Zone; and after consultation with him I informed the Panaman Government that the American military authorities would assume full control of the policing of the city if the Panaman Government should so request in writing stating that it was unable to maintain [order], but that the American military authorities did not feel able to send a force merely to cooperate with the Panaman police. I also said that American forces are being sent meanwhile to the Zone boundary line in readiness to act should serious disorders occur. It is very possible that the moral effect of this measure will in itself prevent serious disturbances. MUNRO 819.00/1209: Telegram The Chargé in Panama (Munro) to the Secretary of State PANAMA, October 12, 1925—3 p. m. [Received 9: 17 p. m.] 97. My October 12, 11 a. m. At the President's request, the Governor of the Canal Zone, the Commanding General and I conferred with him and the Minister for Foreign Affairs this noon. The President stated that the subversive movement was growing rapidly and that the morale of the police force was deteriorating through overwork and propaganda. The President referred to the fact that transportation services have been paralyzed today through intimidation and that the inquilinos 25 had announced that they would stop supply of bread and other food tomorrow. He thought that the Government could dominate the situation by the use of force but with much bloodshed and without being able to terminate the present agitation. He therefore inquired under what conditions the American military authorities would take over the maintenance of order if requested to do so. The Commanding General stated that he would have to assume full control of the policing of the city but with, as little interference as possible with the functioning of the Panaman authorities. Subsequently the Minister for Foreign Affairs sent me a formal note requesting the assistance of the United States in the form outlined at the conference. I so informed the Governor and about 600 American troops entered the city at 2 p. m., so far as I know without serious incidents. Practically all street traffic was suspended this morning and nearly all stores and business houses were closed. Several Americans appealed to me for assistance saying that they were being compelled by threats of mob violence to close their places of business, and I am informed that many more made similar complaints to the Governor of the Canal Zone. The Panaman Government was obviously unable to extend protection in such cases. I am convinced that a very serious situation would have developed within 24 hours and that there would probably have been more bloodshed if the Canal authorities had not intervened. MUNRO 25 Tenants. 819.00/1209: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Panama (Munro) WASHINGTON, October 13, 1925-3 p. m. 63. Your telegrams Nos. 96, October 12, 11 a. m., and 97, October 12, 3 p. m. Your action approved. Observe situation closely with a view to initiating measures for retirement of United States troops as soon as, in your opinion and in that of Canal Zone authorities, disorderly tendencies have abated sufficiently to permit withdrawal. Continue to keep Department informed by telegraph. KELLOGG 819.00/1210: Telegram The Chargé in Panama (Munro) to the Secretary of State PANAMA, October 14, 1925-9 p. m. [Received October 15-12:55 a. m.] 98. Department's 63, October 13, 3 p. m. Conditions in the city are rapidly returning to normal. The almost immediate resumption of work by street-car employees, chauffeurs, and vendors in market shows that the strikes which paralyzed transportation and threatened to cut off the city's food supply were due chiefly to intimidation by radical labor elements. On Monday night a clash occurred between soldiers and a crowd of workmen whom the soldiers were trying to disperse. A few Panamans were injured and one was killed by falling from a balcony. Many arrests were made. With this exception there have been no unfortunate incidents. Several labor agitators have been arrested and those who are foreigners will be deported. The Government proposes to dismiss those employees who have been unduly prominent in the rent-payer movement. I have suggested to the Minister for Foreign Affairs the inadvisability of removing employees simply because of connection with rent-payer movement unless they had permitted themselves to become involved in improper activities. Beyond maintaining order the American authorities are of course not interfering with the rent strike which is still in progress. The President conferred yesterday with the more important property owners and suggested to them to agree to rescind all recent rent increases and to reduce all rents to a point 10 percent below that prevailing January 1st last, the reduction to remain in effect until the next meeting of the National Assembly in September 1927, when remedial legislation can be passed. The form which this legislation will take has not been mentioned. MUNRO 819.00/1219: Telegram The Chargé in Panama (Munro) to the Secretary of State PANAMA, October 22, 1925—2 p. m. 105. Since the President informed me this morning that he has no objection, the American troops will be withdrawn from the city tomorrow. The Government has brought many police from the interior, increasing the forces in the city from about 250 to about 400 men. The President tells me that this increase will be temporary. MUNRO 819.00/1220: Telegram The Chargé in Panama (Munro) to the Secretary of State PANAMA, October 23, 1925-4 p. m. 108. My telegram No. 105, October 22, 2 p. m. The troops were withdrawn from Panama this noon. No disturbances are anticipated. The mixed commission of tenants and landlords organized to hear complaints of dissatisfied tenants began its sessions yesterday. MUNRO BOUNDARY DISPUTE WITH COSTA RICA (See volume I, pages 471 ff.) PARAGUAY DELIVERY OF THE "PARAGUAYAN JEWELS" TO THE GOVERNMENT OF PARAGUAY 334.334 R 33/1 The Secretary of State to the Minister in Uruguay (Philip) No. 318 WASHINGTON, January 27, 1925. SIR: Your attention is called to the case of the so-called "Paraguayan Jewels". Although the files of your Legation no doubt contain some of the correspondence on this subject, a brief history of the case is given for your information. In 1868, during the war between Paraguay and Argentina and Brazil, a number of persons deposited with our Minister, Mr. Washburn, in Asunción various articles for safe keeping.1 Shortly afterwards Mr. Washburn was compelled to leave Asunción and the articles entrusted to him passed through a number of hands before being taken over by the invading Brazilian troops and delivered to the Brazilian authorities. The latter made inventory of the goods which came into their possession and some time later delivered the property to Mr. Partridge, our Minister to Brazil. The box containing these articles eventually reached the State Department, where further inventory was made in 1884, disclosing the fact that the contents of the box at that time was much less than that in 1871 when the Brazilian inventory was made. In 1888 the box was forwarded to Mr. Bacon, our Chargé d'Affaires at Montevideo and, after an unsuccessful effort to induce the Paraguayan Government to accept it, the box was deposited at the London and River Plate Bank in Montevideo. On September 3, 1902, Mr. Finch, who was then Minister to Uruguay, inspected the box at the bank, found the inner seal intact, and re-sealed the outer box with the seal of the United States Legation at Montevideo. This action was reported to the Department in the Legation's despatch No. 576 of September 5, 1902.2 Since that date various claimants have endeavored to establish their right to the contents of the box, but have been unable to convince the Department that their claims were well founded. 1See Diplomatic Correspondence, 1868, pt. 2, p. 817; and Foreign Relations, 1871, pp. 43 and 63. 'Not printed. |