1070 Mr. Philip to Mr. Lansing. Mar. 9 Attempted abrogation by Turkey of the capitula tions. Incloses copy of note to the Porte stating Same subject. Instructions have been sent to pro- 963 964 965 968 975 975 To the American Consular Officers (Including Consular Agents) GENTLEMEN: Having reference to previous instructions relative to the interests of the Republic of Panama, you are instructed to continue to use your good offices in representation of these interests and of the citizens of Panama in the country to which you are accredited, provided that the Government of Panama has not appointed consular officers in that country. In connection with the discharge of the duties of consular officers in behalf of the Panaman Government, your attention is directed to paragraphs 174 and 453 of the Consular Regulations of 1896. Your signature in your official capacity on all papers executed for Panama should be followed by the words: In charge of the interests of Panama. (Circular of January 12, 1904.) CERTIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS Duplicates of all invoices certified in behalf of the Panaman Government should be sent direct to the Minister of Hacienda, Panama, and duplicates of manifests should be forwarded to the inspector of the Panaman port of destination of the vessel. (Circular of April 23, 1904.) Invoices, manifests, and other documents for vessels or cargoes belonging to or for the use of the Isthmian Canal Commission (as specified in section 1 of the Executive Order of December 3, 1904), cleared or consigned for or from the ports of Ancon or Cristobal, are to be certified by officials of the United States; but such documents as do not appertain to such specially designated goods, wares, and merchandise are, by virtue of section 1 of the Executive Order of December 6, 1904, to be certified by officials of the Republic of Panama or persons authorized to act for them. (Circular of April 5, 1909) Masters of vessels clearing for Canal Zone ports carrying cargo subject to the payment of duty to Panama are required to carry an extra copy of their manifests for the customs authorities of Panama. (Circular of July 20, 1909.) FEES FOR SERVICES PERFORMED Previous instructions (circular of December 12, 1904) authorized the retention as personal compensation of one-half the gross amount of fees, not in excess of fifty (50) pesos a month, collected for such consular services as may be performed, the remaining amount being required to be remitted to the Government of Panama. You are now informed that, in accordance with the regulations of the Government of Panama for its consular service, honorary consular officers, who are named by the executive power to places where there is no established salaried consular officer, may retain each month as a remuneration of service and to defray the office expenses fifty per cent of the fees they collect up to one hundred (100) balboas ($100 United States gold) per month. When the monthly fees exceed two hundred (200) balboas, all monies received over the sum of one hundred (100) balboas, which is to be retained, must be remitted to the Panaman Government. You are authorized, therefore, in accordance with the laws of the Government of Panama, to retain one-half of the gross amount of fees collected for services performed by you for that Government, not in excess of one hundred balboas ($100 United States gold) per month. The fees so retained should be turned into the Treasury of the United States under the instructions relating thereto in Circular No. 330, of July 10, 1914. Your offices have been furnished with copies of the tariff of consular fees prescribed by the Government of Panama, as indicated in the circular of April 28, 1905. The tariff is also contained in the Digest of Circular Instructions of 1908. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE Officers of the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service of the United States detailed for duty at foreign ports are under instructions to act in regard to vessels sailing for ports of Panama as they do in regard to vessels sailing for United States ports. Consuls at ports at which medical officers are stationed will cooperate with them in carrying out these instructions. (Circular of April 23, 1904.) The following circulars, the substance of which has been incorporated in the instructions herein contained, are therefore revoked: January 12, 1904: April 23, 1904; December 12, 1904; April 5, 1909; July 20, 1909. Reference is made to circulars of July 20, 1904, and March 16, 1905, enclosing orders from the War Department, and of April 28, 1905, enclosing the Panama Tariff of Cousular Fees. I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: ATTITUDE OF THE UNITED STATES TOWARDS LATIN AMERICA File No. 710.11/230a The Secretary of State to certain American Missions1 [Circular telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, It is proposed to embody, in a general convention to be subscribed to by all the American Republics, the following provision, in four articles, in which the several Republics agree: I. To guarantee their territorial integrity and political independence. II. To settle all boundary disputes by amicable arrangement or by arbitration. III. To submit all differences between any two of them, excepting those affecting honor, independence and interests of third parties, to a permanent international commission, which will render a decision within one year, and if decision be unsatisfactory to submit such differences to arbitration. IV. To prohibit the departure of military forces, arms or ammunition from their territory to revolutionists in other Republics. This matter was referred to by President Wilson in his speech to the Second Pan American Scientific Congress on January 62 and has already been accepted in principle by a majority of the Republics represented at that conference. Should the Chief Executive or the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the country to which you are accredited broach this subject to you, you may informally express the interest taken in this proposal by the President of the United States and the hope of this Government that a treaty to this end may be signed by all the American Republics. LANSING File No. 710.11/230a The Secretary of State to certain American Missions [Circular telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, On January 24 certain American Diplomatic Missions were informed by telegraph that it is proposed to embody, in a general convention to be subscribed to by all the American Republics, the following provision, in four articles, in which the several Republics mutually agree. I. To guarantee their territorial integrity and political independence. To the American Missions in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Salvador, Uruguay, Venezuela. 2 Printed in the Daily Bulletin, Second Pan American Scientific Congress of January 7, 1916, Department of State Library JX 1424 C 7 Sc 26, 1915/16. To the American Missions in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Nicaragua. II. To settle all boundary disputes by amicable arrangement or by arbitration. III. To submit all differences between any two of them, excepting those affecting honor, independence and interests of third parties, to a permanent international commission, which will render a decision within one year, and if decision be unsatisfactory to submit such differences to arbitration. IV. To prohibit the departure of military forces, arms, or ammunition from their territory to revolutionists in other Republics. This matter was referred to by President Wilson in his speech to the Second Pan American Scientific Congress on January 6 and has already been accepted in principle by a majority of the Republics represented at that Conference. You may, opportunely and in your discretion, informally express the interest taken in this proposal by the President of the United States and the hope of this Government that a treaty to this end may be signed by all the American Republics. File No. 710.11/266a LANSING The Secretary of State to the Colombian Minister DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: You are doubtless aware, from the statement of the President of the United States in his address to the Second Pan American Scientific Congress, on January 6, 1916, that this Government indulges in the hope that there may be embodied in a general convention to be subscribed to by all American Republics, a provision in which the signatory Governments will mutually agree as follows:1. That their political independence and territorial integrity be guaranteed. 2. That all disputes regarding boundary questions be settled by amicable arrangement, or by arbitration. 3. That all differences between any two of them, with the exception of questions affecting the honor, independence and interests of third parties, be submitted to a permanent international commission, whose decisions thereon will be rendered within one year; and that such differences be submitted to arbitration, if the decision prove unsatisfactory. 4. That the departure of arms, ammunition or military forces from their territory to revolutionists in other Republics be prohibited. In order that your Government may be apprised of the proposal which it is believed is acceptable in principle to a majority of the Republics represented at the Second Pan American Scientific Congress, the American Legation at Bogotá has been recently informed of the matter which I have the honor herein to bring to your attention. Accept [etc.] ROBERT LANSING The same, mutatis mutandis, to the Ministers of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua. |