File No. 819.00/396.
The Acting Secretary of State to the President.
My Dear Mr. President: I have the honor to inform you that the Republic of Panama is approaching the third quadrennial election of a President, and the political conditions seem at present to be somewhat disturbed.
Dr. Belisario Porras, formerly Minister here, is the candidate of the Liberal Party, and Pedro Díaz of the Conservative Party. Some Liberal support seems to have gone over to Díaz, and the organization actively supporting him is known as Union Patriótica.
The Liberal Party is in control of the election boards throughout the country, and the Union Patriótica is receiving the active support of the present Government, which is in control of the police and officials. Mr. Dodge, the American Minister at Panama, has reported one quite serious riot, and press reports indicate other disturbances that have resulted since the candidates began their campaign speech making. Several leaders of the Unión Patriótica addressed a communication to the Secretary of State while he was on the Isthmus, requesting intervention of this Government in the elections. Mr. Dodge telegraphs under date of May 4 that the committee of the Unión Patriótica had sent to the Panaman Minister here a letter addressed to you, requesting complete supervision as soon as possible by this Government of the registration of voters, and later complete supervision of voting.
Minister Dodge has also forwarded to the Department a very comprehensive petition of the Porras (Liberal) party, requesting our intervention in the form it took in 1908.
On May 6 the Panaman Minister at Washington left with the Department a note, a translation enclosed herewith, which, on behalf of his Government, requests this Government to intervene. Mr. Dodge has also stated in a telegram, dated May 4, that “President Arosemena [Page 1139] assures me that he desires supervision of the elections to the extent necessary to ensure fairness.”
In order that the Department might be assured that the candidates themselves desire supervision of registrations and elections by this Government, a telegram was sent to the American Minister at Panama on May 9 inquiring whether Messrs. Porras and Díaz themselves favored American supervision of registration and election, in order that the Department might be informed whether this in fact was requested by the Government and by both political parties. The Department also asked whether Mr. Dodge recommended our acquiescence and whether a committee consisting of himself as chairman and Colonel Goethals and Governor Thatcher could devise suitable measures, after consulting the Government and both parties.
To this telegram Mr. Dodge has replied that both Porras and Díaz are absent in the interior, but that Messrs. Mendoza Valdés and Chiari, the principal directors of the Porras party, had yesterday affirmed to him over their signatures that they know that Porras himself favors American supervision of registration and election, and President Arosemena has affirmed over his signature to Mr. Dodge the same regarding Señor Díaz. The Minister states that he believes there can be no doubt but that this is true, and recommends our acquiescence in the request for supervision which has been made by the Government and by both political parties, as it appears to be the only way of avoiding serious disturbances and securing fair elections. Mr. Dodge also says that he believes the committee described in the Department’s telegram could in the manner indicated devise suitable measures, and that Governor Thatcher is at present on leave.
In view of the circumstances, and of the importance of having orderly and fair elections at Panama, I recommend that this Government consent to intervene and supervise the registration and, if necessary, the voting; and upon the indication of your pleasure in this matter I shall be glad to take it up with the proper departments, so that we may help Panama to hold a fair election.
In this connection I may point out the importance of despatch, as the registration under ordinary circumstances would close on May 15, but, as indicated by Mr. Dodge, will be probably continued until the last of this month.
I have [etc.]