File No. 819.00/402.

The American Minister to the Secretary of State.

[Extract.]
No. 130.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt this morning of the Department’s telegram dated May 13, relative to the President’s decision to supervise the registration of voters and the election in Panama, thus acquiescing in the request of the Panaman Government and of both political parties. In accordance with the directions therein I immediately informed President Arosemena and Señor Chiari, Minister for Foreign Affairs, personally, of the substance of this telegram, handing a note to the latter containing a paraphrase of it. I also notified the leaders of both political parties, whom I requested to call at the Legation, further communicating with the other members of the committee designated in the Department’s telegram, Colonels Goethals and Greene. In accordance with my suggestion the committee thereupon decided to meet to-morrow, [Page 1143] the 15th instant, at the Legation, to hold a preliminary consultation with representatives of the Government and of both parties with a view to beginning as soon as possible the consideration of such suitable measures as to secure fairness in the registration and election. I found that no intimation of our Government’s decision had as yet been received either by the Government or the political parties, which all expressed the greatest satisfaction and appreciation.

I have [etc.]

H. Percival Dodge.