Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-12
PANAMA. WARNED
NO FRAUD MUST
MARK ELECTION
UNITED STATES MAY FORCE
"SGUARE DEAL"
PRESIDENT AND TAFT GIVE THE
REPUBLIC NOTICE
Notice Given Out as If in Preparation
for Active Intervention, If Neces.
sary-Letter to Amador
Revealed

WASHINGTON, June lin language
that cannot be mistaken the president and
Secretary Taft have notified the Panama
government that elections in that republic
must be conducted fairly.
The circumstances attending this warning
were given out for publication as IL in pre-
paration for active intervention on the part
of the United States by the use of whatever
force shall be necessary to make 1t fairly.
President Roosevelt, in letter dated
May II, addressed to President ANA
dor, suggests that two years ago when
charges of fraud were made concern
ing the congressional election at Pan
anna, it was not thought to do more
than to urge fairness in the admins
tration of the election laws.
Some weighty evidence was ad-
duced," he continues, Ito show that
there were many who had been de-
prived of their constitutional right to
vote in that election, and there was
much evidence of violence and repeat
ing by the police in the cities of Pam
anna, Colon and elsewhere.
mo active Intervention, however, was
attempted by the United States gov
ernment. 1t was hoped that the ir-
due merely to the fact that the election
laws were new. the reNublic was young
and that at more important election
like the presidential election to follow,
greater care would be taken to pre-
serve the rights of the citizens.
Interest Is Manifest
1.-THE interest of the United States
in the fairness of the elections Is mani
fest. The United States guarantees the
integrity of the republic and this in
wolves recognition by it of the law
full government.
IF fraud is to intervene in the elec-
ton so that dispute arises as to who
are the lawfully elected authorities.
then 1t becomes necessary for the
United States, in the discharge of its
treaty and constitutional duty, to de-
termine who ARE the lawfully elected
officers, In order that it may recog-
nize them and deal with them as such.
"The United States cannot look upon
any election which Is not conducted on
| fair lines and is likely to lead to vio-
lence, with anything but the utmost
concern, and it has direct interest
in case of threatened fraud in an cleo
tion to intervene to prevent the success
sion of lnose officials in whose election
there was not the free choice of the
people,
6iSpdtCfi iTOH1 TfCSiOSut
Mr.. Taft included in his letter dis
patch he received from President
Roosevelt, as follows:
You are authorized to say to Presi-
dent Amador that the government of
the United States will consider any
attempt at the election of a successor
by fraudulent methods or methods
which deny to a large part of the peo-
pie opportunity to vote constitutes
OF ha mr. n ToIIhlir order which
der Panama's constitution, requires in
tervention, and this government will
not permit Panama to pass into the
hands of anyone so elected. The fall
ure which you describe to comply with
the laws assuring to the people of Pan
anna the opportunity to have their
names entered into the registry of
voters, appears in advance to be suffi-
cient to invalidate the election, and II
the facts are as they have been re-
ported to you, wrong already done must
be redressed and fair registry lists
made up. In case we find occasion for
intervention, 1t will be necessary for
this government to consider what steps
1t will take for redress of the wrong
done and to prevent repetition in fu-
ture."
Deny Any Fraud
The first answer to this communica-
ton received by Mr.. Taft from Pres
ident Amador was denial of any
fraudulent election and a refusal to
take any OF the steps suggested. Sub
sequently an agreement was reached
between the Panama authorities and
the American minister and Commis-
sioners Goethals and Blackburn, to-
gether with the general counsel of the
commission, Mr.. Rogers, by which
Panama agreed to create a commission
of electoral inquiry to investigate the
complaints of all parties and under
which the United States was to join in
the inquiry through any persons ap-
pointed by it.
Three governors known to be in IA
vor of O'Baldia the opponent of Sec
retary Arias, were recently removed
from office by President Amador be-
cause, as he informed Mr. Blackburn,
he did not propose to have anybody in
office opposed to the government. The
other four governors are Arias men.
At the same time the government has
decreased by eleven the electoral votes.
which under the law may be cast by
Colon for the president, Colon being
understood to be an O'Baldia district
and has increased by five the electoral
representatives of Los Santos. a provi-
dence ready to vote for Arias.