Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-22
PRESIDENT HARDING
IS FIRM IN STAND
ON PANAMA NOTE

decision of Chief Justice White in
the PanamaCosta RIGA boundary
dispute must be the unalterable po-
sition" of the United States govern
ment, President Harding declared to-
day in reply to a personal appeal
from President Porras, of Panama.
Although he expressed regret that
Panama should feel wounded by the
White decision, described in Senior
Porras' message as painful and hu
initiating" Mr.. Harding declined to
consider any basis of settlement, and
asserted that the recent state depart
ment note insisting on enforcement
of the decision had his hearty ap-
prevail.
The exchange between the two ex-
ecutives, made public textually to-
night at the White House, was in the
nature Of an ad interim discussion
while the state department awaited
Panama's reply to its note. Costa
RIGA already has accepted the White
award and some definite answer from
Panama now is expected within a
few days.
Harding and Hughes Confer
In making his appeal President
Porras recalled the expressions of
friendship for Panama given by Mr..
Harding last November during his
visit there as president-elect, and
voiced a hope that the Panaman peo-
pie might not be disappointed in their
faith in the new administration at
Washington. To this President Har-
ding replied by renewing his avow-
ais Of cordiality, but added that the
exercise of friendly relations always
must be tempered by justice.
The message from the Panaman
president was received late yester-
day and before replying Mr.. Harding
held a conference today with Secre-
tary Hughes, of the state depart
ment 1t is understood they not
only went over in detail the latest
informa ton regarding the situation
between the two Central American
republics, but also discussed the
broad questions of policy involved in
final determined insistence on the
position taken by this government.
Text Of Appeal
The text of President Porras' ca
blegram follows:
Demand from state department
that my government would accept
Whites decision is painful and hu-
initiating. More so when two sue
cessive legislatures and all the mu-
inequalities in the republic have petit
toned for the rejection of that de-
cision on the ground that the arbitra-
tor VIGOROUSLY exceeded it's jurisdic-
ton, giving to Costa Rica more than
what her Representative Peralta
asked President Loubet, and also be-
cause it is against the provisions of
Panama's constitution
II appeal, therefore, directly to
you, Mr.. President, recalling your
kind words with which you expressed
your friendship and good wishes to-
wards my country when you honored
US with your visit in November. l
address myself to the magistrate
who loves justice and equity, so that
my country's cause be better appre-
ciated and that we may be classified
amongst the nations with self-con-
seriousness and dignity that feels
herself deeply wounded with the
state departments demand.
~'I beg of you, Mr.. President, to use
your personal, political and admins
trative influence so that the boundary
dispute between Panama and Costa
Rica may have a solution more in
accord with justice and dignity than
the one which we are being asked
to accept. We Panamans are conf
dent in your Righteousness and we
hope that the confidence will not be
rewarded with disappointment"
President Harding's Reply
Following is President Harding S
reply:
1.-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.
cit would be exceedingly distress
ing to me to believe that the govern
ment of Panama had cause to feel
wounded or to assume, for any rea-
son, the government of the United
States is in any way unmindful of
| our peculiarly friendly relationship,
with recognized mutually of inter-
est. The friendly expressions made
in our presence informally, last No
vember, are repeated now and there
is deep concern for full justice in the
exercise of our friendly relationship.
"It must be apparent, however,
that the decision of the chief justice
of the United States, in arbitration
submitted to him, and reached after
exhaustive study and rendered in
fullest devotion to justice, must be
unalterable position of this govern
nentp