New-York tribune., 1921-03-11
Panama Raises
Issue of i. S.
LeaguePolicy
Refusal of Republic to Ac-
cept White Award and
Appeal to Geneva Tribu-
nal Precipitate Problem
Note Is Disappointing
Proposal of Further Adju-
dication by a Commits
sion May Be Utilized

WASHINGTON, March Refusal
of Panama to accept the White terri
torial award as basis of peace with
Costa Rica and appeal by Panama to
the League of Nations for settlement
of the dispute are expected by some Of
fcials here to place before the Ameri-
can government the probable necessity
Of defining for the first time it's att
tude toward the jurisdiction Of the
League of Nations in disputes on the
American continent
Panama, in replying to the not. OF
the State Department last Saturday
demanding immediate cessation Of hos
tilities between her forces and these
of Costa Rica, agreed to the retirement
Of her troops from Coto, but announce
the intention to keep the civil and
police authorities in Coto: where they
were prior to the break between the
two governments February II. Costa
Rica, in agreeing to settlement or
the basis of the White award, has
withdrawn her troops from the disput-
ed territory.
Panama Note Unsatisfactory
The Panama note, the text of which
was made public to-day at the State
Department, was understood to be IN
satisfactory to department officials.
There was suggestion, however, that
the counter proposal offered by Panama
for mediation of the dispute by COM
mission of disinterested persons might
be used by the American government
as basis for further negotiations.
Although lacking official confrma-
tion of the appeal of Panama to the
League Of Nations, officials evidenced
interest in press dispatch from
Geneva stating that the text of such
an appeal had been received by the
secretariat of the League of Nations
there. The dispatch indicated that
the League of Nations Council might
give attention to settlement OF the con-
fict, and in that connection it was
pointed out here that both Panama and
Costa Rica are members Of the league,
the latter having been elected to men,
bership at the last meeting of the
league Assembly.
The league was called on to take
cognizance of one dispute in the Ameri-
can hemisphere at the meeting of its
Assembly last November. The Tacna
africa controversy, involving Peru, Chile
and Bolivia, three members of the
league, was referred for settlement by
Peru, but later withdrawn, the repre-
sentatives of Peru expressing the hope
that when the question was submitted
at the next meeting the United States
would have become 4 member.
RuzzIing Situation Created
Diplomatic circles here profess to be
frankly puzzled as to the possible at
titude which the United States as
non member of the league might as
sumo with reference to any attempt by
the league to settle purely American
dispute. 1t is understood that the un-
certainty on this point, which the Will
SON Administration never attempted to
define, was another reason for defer
ring action in the Tacna-Arica matter
Some officials of the government
have said in the past that the protfer
by the league of it's good Offices in
settling a dispute on the American
continent could in no wise be inter
preted as an infringement of the Mon
roe Doctrine, inasmuch as numerous
controversies in South America for
merly have been arbitrated by European
monarchs and heads of states State
Department officials of the new Ad-