The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-12
MIR. ROOSEVELT !. WARNSPANAMA Sands Ths at to Presi-
 deEi Amador. Elzcrios MUST BE FAIR This Gts rnment May Intervene
 e in the Affair. Chief Executive of Little County En- gagged in Trying to Elect
 Member of His Cabinet at
 That.
ElEcIlOsg MUST BE FAIR.
G rnment May Intervene e in the Affair.

Washington, June 11.-In language that cannot be mistaken. the text of which was made public by the war de-
 partment today, the president and Sec -etary Taft have notified the Panama government that elections in that re- public must be conducted fairly.
 The circumstances attending this warning were given out for publication as if fin preparation for active inter- vention on the part of the United States by the use of whatever force shall be necessary to make&t effective,
 Secretary Taft in a letter delivered to President Amador in person ana dated May 12, suggested that two years ago when charges of raud were made concerning the congressional election at Panama 1t was not thought best to do more than urge fairness Tn the administration of election laws. though there was much evidence or violence and of repeating, It was hoped that the irregularities were due merely to the fact that the election laws were. new, the republic was young and that at a. more important election like the pending presidential election. greater care would be taken to pre- serve the rights of the citizens.
 "The interest of the United States in the fairness of the elections of the republic is manifest" said MT. Tart. "The United States guarantees the integrity of the republic and this in wolves q recognition by it of the law fuI government if fraud Is to in- fervene in tho election SO that dis pute arises as to who are the lawfully elerfed Authorities, then it becomes necessary for the United States in the dlscharee of It's treaty and eonstitu- ttonaI duty to determine who are the lawfully elected officers, in order that 1t may recognize them and deal with them as such. More than this. every fFa4idnient election Involves force and vioaence In the election itsele which necessarily endangers the peace og tne canal zone, and ih exceedingly liN&Ay te, arouse in 4he. party defeated nY fraud and violence disposition te '. tS aizt the fraueuIently elected ofncials, and to institute rebellion.
 Roosevelt Threatens.
 Mir Taft included in his letter ois, patch he received from FresidenI Roosevelt as follows:
 .FYou are authorized to say to Pres- idert ATnador that the government or the United states will consider any at- fenpt at the election of successor by fraudulent method or methods which deny to large part of the people op- portunity to vote, constitutes a ,disturr bance of public order which. under Panarnas constitution requires inter vention, and this government Will not permit Panama to pass Into the hands of any one so elected. The failure which you describe to comply with the laws assuring to the people of Pana- ma the opportunity to have their names entered in the registry ofvotere appears in advance to be sufficient to invalidate the election and if the facts are as they have been represented to you, wrong already done must be re- dressed and fair registry lists made up. In case we find occasion for interven- tion it will be necessary for this gov ernment to consider what steps 1t will take for redress of the wrong done and to prevent repetition in the future"
 The first answer to this communica- tfon received by Mir. Taft from Presi- dent Amador was a denial of any fraud in the election and refusal to take any of the steps suggested. Subse. quently an agreement was reached oy which Panama agreed to create a com. mission of electoral inquiry which the United States was to join in the in. ouiry through any persons appointed by it with the right to examine and ci oss examine all witnesses and to inc spect and copy all inscriptions on the registrat ton lists and to attend all ses- sions of the registration and election juries.
 On May IS the commissioners were appointed and went to the various places of registration in the districts. Tine Panaman authorities consented that registration should proceed for ten days from the 18th to the 25th ot May.
 Subsequently, three governors known to be in favor of obaldia. the opponent of Secretary Arias. were removed from oface by the President because. as he informed Governor Blackburn. he did not propose to have anybody in office onnosed to the Government The oth- er four governors are Arias men.
 At the same time the Government has decreased by eleven the electoral votas of Colon, which is understood to he an obaldia district, and has in- creased by five the electoral vote of Toe santos, understood to be prov .ince likely to vots in favor of Arias.
 No opinion was expressed at the War
 oenartrnent whether these cireum- stances were leading to fraud requiring Intervention It was said that the Gov arnment could do nothing but await tl,e event and then sum up the evidence aM