Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-03-25
SHARP NOTE TO
PANAMA HEAD
President Harding Tells Porras
to Let Costa Rica
Alone.
HUGHES NOTE is BACKED
U. S. Executive Says Decision of the
Chief Justice Must BE the un.
alterahle Position of This
Government.

GoNSrnmGnK.
Washington, March 22-Presdent
Harding personally served notice on
the President of the republic of Pana-
me that the United States expects the
Panama government to end hostilities
with Costa Rica and abide by the
boundary decision of Chief Justice
White of the United States Supreme
court.
He dispatched a note couched in
polite but singularly firm language, TO
President P0rras after the Panama
chief executive had appealed to him
directly over the head of Secretary of
State Hughes to reverse theSposition
taken by Mr. Hughes Thursday when
the latter demanded that Panama nc
cept Chief Justice Whites decision.
President porras declared that Mr..
Hughes note TO the Panama govern
ment was painful and humiliat-
ing"
Immediately after the receipt of the
message from President Porras, Mr..
Harding called Secretary Hughes into
conference and later the Presidents
answer was given out Mt the White
House In 1t the President declared
that "the decision OF the chief justice
of the United States must be the un-
alterable position of this government"
The exchange between the heads of
the two nations is unusual In diplo-
matte procedure in that the rule OF
negotiating through the State depart
ments was suspended The emphatic
and final character of Mr.. Harding's
reply is relied upon in administration
circles to bring about an early res
toration of peace in the Central
American region.
President porras' appeal addressed
| directly to President Harding was as
follows.
Demand from State department
that my government would accept
Whites decision is painful and huuil-
ating. More so when two successive
legislatures and all the municipalities
IN the republic have petitioned for the
rejection of that decision on the
ground that the arbitrator notoriously
exceeded its jurisdiction, giving 10
Costa Rica more than what her rep
resentatiye, Peralta, asked from Presi-
dent Loubet, AND also because it Is
against the provisions of panama's
constitution. | appeal, therefore, di-
rectly to you, Mr. President, recalling
your kind words with which yoG ex-
pressed your friendship and good
wishes toward my country when you
honored us with your visit in Novem-
ber. | address myself to the magis-
trate who loves justice and equity, so
that my eountry's cause he better ap
preciated and that we may be elassi-
fed amongst the nations with self
consciousness and dignity that feels
herself deeply wounded with the State
departments demand.
Il beg of you, Mr.. President, to use
your personal, political and admins
trative influence so that the boundary
dispute between Panama and Costa
Rlca may have solution more in ac-
one which we are being asked to ac-
cept. We panamanlans are confident
in your righteousness, and we Lope
that that confidence will not be re-
warded with disappointment"
President Harding's reply follows:
''The communications from our
State department to the government
Of Panama and the government of
Costa Rica have been sent with the
full knowledge and hearty approval of
the executive. It would be exceeding
ly distressing to me to believe that
the government Of Panama had cause
to feel wounded or to assume, foi' any
reason, the government of the United
States Is In any way unmindful Of our
peculiarly friendly relationship, with
q recognized mutually OF interest.
The friendly expressions made in your
presence informally last November
are repeated now, and there Is deep
concern for full justice in the exer-
else of our friendly relationship. 1t
must be apparent, however, that the
decision OF the chief justice Of the
United States, in an arbitration sub
mitted TO him, and reached after eE-
haustive study and rendered in fullest
devotion TO justice, must be the an
aIterable position Of this govern
ment"
The utterances Of Mr. Harding re-
ferred to ia the correspondence were
made in the course Of a speech In
Panama on Thanksgiving day during
his visit 10 the Canal Zone.