Arizona republican., 1916-09-28
PANAMA HAS
 SOME VERY W|LY LAW MAKERS 5---- lH HH H

PANAMA, Sept. 2T.-wlth Ameri- can occupation d goblin before which all Panama politicians stand aghast, earnest efforts are being made to relieve the tension which developed recently in the national assembly, and which threatened to cause the intervention of the American author ities.
 The trouble mad its origin in a coup by which the minority party, O. Liberal Conservatives. managed to elect the presiding officer of the as- semby in the absence of several dele gates belong to the government party. When the assembly convened, 19 of the B deputies were of the gov ernment party, and IA of the opposi- l tion. For each deputy there is an alternate. and the constitution pro- vides that "in theabsence of deputy
 whether accidental or permanently his alternate may vote in his place. The alternates of three of the gov ernment deputies were in sympathy with the opposition. The coup con- sisted of keeping those three deputies away from the assembly and voting their alternates in their places. This was accomplished by getting two of them drunk and by having the at | torney of another insist that it was
 necessary that they make out and
 record certain papers in the matter l of the title to an estate before the | close of business that day-in which | it became necessary to make a trip to the country to view the estate,
 with a series of delays which kept | them out till night. During the ab-
 sence of the three the balance of power in the assembly shifted to r opposition to 16 government votes and the opposition was able to elect the presiding officer, who has great
 power in the conduct of legislation. When the majority of the assembly
 understood the coup they declared
 the procedure illegal and the result
 void. They based their charges or
 interpretation Of the constitution to
 tho effect that the alternate could
 not be accepted in the assembly with ' out written acknowledgment from tho
 principal, and that the alternates had
 not been duly accredited. The op-
 position maintained that every re.
 quirement had been met and tha
 the election was perfectly legal Tho
 point at issue is the legality of tht
 voting of the alternates, and this i.
 the point on which adjustment vii
 have to be made to prevent the entr!
 of the United States. The tangle Ina! |
 Panama for decision.
 The imminence of American inter vention arose from the prospect O
 disorder. The president ordered number of police to preserve the au l thority of the government in the as sembly and at this members of tn
 opposition appealed to Governor Goe 5 thals for intervention. The govern } or stated that he would not 'wasl ? any of their dirty linen" and tha | the interest of the United States il f their affairs iay in the preservation ? of order and a constitutional govern ? ment. He stated that if the govern = ment of Panama were unable to d n this he would recommend that tn } government of the United States in ;, tervene and take control of the sit , uation. in accordance with the pro e visions of the treaty
 It is confidently expected that som : solution will be arrived at which wi = make it unnecessary. The attain h ment of a mOdus vivendi is a matte d for prolonged discussion. but in tn . meantime the city is orderly A fe' Q demonstrations, pro and con the gov if ernment. have been held but in th n absence of violence they do not al 6 tract much attention.
 The bitterness between the partit d has been intensified by the prolonge
 efforts of the opposition to secul
 intervention b. the United States e supervise the national and municip Y elections, failing which they hay ., made every effort to discredit u ., government in Panama and in u ; eyes of the American officials. TT ,, Japanese questions has been siege a on as an issue, and the politics iC i'm vr1in nf ha rs n and counter charge of corruption al v. treachery. Into all of this, futrh ,e than to protect the interests of u II caral and the United States, u 'i American officials do not enter. Tn, T. arc desirous for the Panamanians