PACIFIC COMMISSARY CO. Mr. STRONG of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I present a conference report on the bill S. 2357 and ask that the same be printed in the RECORD under the rule. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the bill by title. The Clerk read as follows: S. 2357. An act for the relief of the Pacific Commissary Co. The SPEAKER. Ordered printed under the rule. The conference report is as follows: CONFERENCE REPORT The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the amendments of the House to the bill S. 2357, an act for the relief of the Pacific Commissary Co., having met, after full and free conference have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows: That the Senate recede from its disagreement to the amendments of the House and agree to the same with an amendment as follows: In lieu of the sum proposed insert "$10,841.73 out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated"; and the House agree to the same. JAMES G. STRONG, ARTHUR B. WILLIAMS, CHARLES F. X. O'BRIEN, Managers on the part of the House. ARTHUR CAPPER, ROBT. N. STANFIELD, THOMAS F. BAYARD, Managers on the part of the Senate. MILK BILL, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Mr. ZIHLMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask to take from the Speaker's table the bill S. 2803 to insist on the House amendments, and to agree to the conference asked for by the Senate. The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Maryland asks to take from the Speaker's table, to insist on the House amendments, and to agree to the conference asked by the Senate on the bill which the Clerk will report by title. The Clerk read as follows: An act (S. 2803) to regulate within the District of Columbia the sale of milk, cream, and ice cream, and for other purposes. The SPEAKER. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none. The Clerk will announce the conferees. The Clerk read as follows: Mr. REED of West Virginia, Mr. LAMPERT, and Mr. BLANTON. 15. The President's Calendar A considerable portion of the time of the President is of necessity consumed by conferences of one sort or another. These vary widely in character and importance, as the following list of the engagements of President Coolidge over a period of three days will show. It is quite true, however, as Mr. Clark has pointed out, that "it is only fair to say that the daily calendar is far from representative of the great variety of his engagements and duties. Recently, we have tried hard to crowd all of his callers into the hours before lunch. This leaves his afternoon apparently free, so far as engagements are concerned; but, in fact, the afternoon and evening become his most productive working hours. These are devoted to the enormous amount of reading, studying and writing, which his position makes so necessary." SOURCE-Statements of Mr. E. T. Clark, Acting Secretary to President Coolidge, Feb. 4, 1925. The President's Engagements Monday, January 5, 1925. 11:00 a. m. Representative Parker, N. Y. 11:45 a. m. Mr. Harry Wardman. 12:00 noon Delegation Infantry Corps Old Guard State Fencibles, Phila., to present certificate of honorary membership. 12:15 p.m. Senator McCormick to introduce Mrs. Nancy Mc Cormick. 12:30 p.m. Receive and say word of welcome to delegates Nat. Coöperative Marketing Conference, Walton Peteet, Secretary. Tuesday, January 6, 1925. 10:00 a. m. Senator Phipps. 10:15 a. m. Senator McKinley. 10:20 a. m. Secretary Mellon, Senator Pepper, and Senator Reed. 10:30 a. m. CABINET. 12:00 noon Washington Correspondents. 12:15 p. m. Mr. Wayne B. Wheeler. Wednesday, January 7, 1925. 10:00 a. m. Rep. McLaughlin, Michigan. 10:15 a. m. Mr. Elmer Landes and Mr. Quamme. 10:30 a. m. Mr. Eugene Meyer, Jr., and Mr. John Sparks, of Texas. 10:45 a. m. Mr. Drummond, Inland Waterways Ass'n. 11:00 a. m. Rep. Hoch, Kansas. 11:15 a. m. Hon. Frank W. Mondell. 11:30 a. m. Mr. Wm. F. Whiting, Holyoke, Mass. 11:45 a. m. General Hines, Veterans' Bureau. 12:00 noon R. C. Bonham, President Jersey City Stock Yards Co. 12:15 p.m. Miss Charl Williams. 12:30 p.m. Officers and Delegates World Association Daily Vacation Bible Schools-30 or 40. 16. Recognition of Panama The United States had long been interested in the proposal for an interoceanic canal across the Isthmus of Panama. In order to preclude British control of such a project, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850) was negotiated, stipulating that neither this country nor Great Britain "would ever obtain or maintain for itself any exclusive control" over the proposed waterway. Toward the end of the century a number of attempts were made by the United States to secure a revision of this treaty, but each ended in failure. The Spanish-American War led to strong feeling in the country that the canal ought to be built without further delay, and to this end Secretary Hay renewed the efforts to secure a removal of the restrictions of 1850. This time the British government was more open to argument, and in 1901 a treaty was negotiated which removed all British obstacles to an American built canal. A second difficulty was encountered in the French company which had started a canal many years before, and which still held the rights to the most favorable route through Panama. After prolonged bickering, this company agreed to sell its rights for forty million dollars, and it remained only to secure Colombian consent to American control of the prospective canal zone. Early in 1903 Mr. Hay negotiated a treaty providing for this. But the Colombian Congress failed to ratify it, partly because the members felt that a higher price might be secured for the concession. This delay was very irritating, and President Roosevelt seemed to countenance forcible action if Colombia continued to obstruct the interests of "collective civilization.” The inhabitants of Panama were equally desirous of clearing the way for American construction of the canal, for they feared that a route through Nicaragua would be selected if there were further delays. Consequently, with American naval vessels and marines at hand to prevent Colombian troops from interfering, a quick and bloodless revolution was staged and the Panamaians declared themselves an independent state. A few days later Philippe Bunau-Varilla (the agent of the French canal company) was appointed minister from Panama to the United States. The following documents show how our recognition of the independence of Panama was finally effected. SOURCE-Papers relating to the Foreign Affairs of the United States, 1903 (Washington, 1904), pp. 245-246. LEGATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA,1 MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: I have the very great honor to bring to your knowledge the fact that the Republic of Panama has The original was in Spanish.-EDITOR. designated me to fill, near the Government of the United States of America, the post of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary with full powers to negotiate. While begging you, Mr. Secretary of State, to transmit to His Excellency the President of the Republic of the United States the substance of the present communication, I venture to ask you to solicit from his kindness the appointment of a date on which he will authorize me to present to him my letters of credence. I have, etc., P. BUNAU-VARILLA. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 12, 1903. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 11th instant, in which you advise me that the Republic of Panama has appointed you to fill, near this Government, the post of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, with full powers to negotiate. You further ask that this information may be communicated to the President and that he will kindly fix a date at which you may present your letters of credence. In reply I have the honor to say that the President will be pleased to receive you for the purpose mentioned to-morrow, Friday, at 9.30 a. m. If you will be good enough to call at this Department shortly before the hour mentioned, the Secretary of State will be pleased to accompany you to the White House. Accept, etc., FRANCIS B. LOOMIS, 'Acting Secretary of State. When Mr. Bunau-Varilla was presented at the White House the following day, President Roosevelt made the following remarks: MR. MINISTER: I am much gratified to receive the letters whereby you are accredited to the Government of the United States in the capacity of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the Republic of Panama. In accordance with its long-established rule, this Government has taken cognizance of the act of the ancient territory of Panama in reasserting the right of self-control and, seeing in the recent |