Panama shall be afforded opportunity to participate in such training program on the same basis as that upon which opportunity to particípate in such training program is afforded to employees who are citizens of the United States.

ADMINISTRATION

SEC. 15. (a) The President shall coordinate the policies and activities of the respective departments under this Act.

(b) The President is authorized to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions and accomplish the purposes of this Act.

(c) The President is authorized to delegate any authority vested in him by this Act and to provide for the redelegation of any such authority.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

SEC. 16. (a) Paragraph (21) of section 202 of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended (5 U. S. C. 1082), is amended to read as follows:

"(21) (A) employees of any department who are stationed in the Canal Zone and (B) upon approval by the Civil Service Commission of the request of any department which has employees stationed in both the Republic of Panama and the Canal Zone, employees of such department who are stationed in the Republic of Panama;".

(b) The following provisions of law are hereby repealed:

(1) paragraph (32) of section 202 of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended (5 U. S. C. 1182);

(2) subsection (c) of the first section of the Act of October 25, 1951 (65 Stat. 637);

(3) section 804 of the Postal Field Service Compensation Act of 1955 (69 Stat. 130; 39 U. S. C. 1034); and

(4) section 404 of the Act of May 27, 1958 (72 Stat. 146; Public Law 85-426).

(c) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall become effective on the first day of the first pay period which begins more than sixty days after the date on which regulations are promulgated under section 15 (b) of this Act.

APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN EXISTING LAW

SEC. 17. Nothing contained in this Act shall affect the applicability of

(1) the Veterans' Preference Act of 1944, as amended (5 U. S. C. 851-869),

(2) section 6 of the Act of August 24, 1912, as amended (5 U.S. C. 652), and

(3) section 23 of the Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1935 (48 Stat. 522), as amended (5 U. S. C. 673c), or section 205 of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1945, as amended (5 U. S. C. 913), to those classes of employees within the scope of such sections 23 and 205 on the date of enactment of this Act.

EFFECTIVE DATES

SEC. 18. Except as otherwise provided in sections 4, 5, 7, 10, 13, and 16 of this Act, this Act shall become effective on the date of its enactment.

Approved July 25, 1958.

63 Stat. 954.

Repeals.

58 Stat. 387.

62 Stat. 354.

59 Stat. 297.

VIII. Relations with Panama, 1959-1970: The Era of the Flag Incidents and the Unperfected 1967 Treaties

96-673 77 - 67

of November 3, 1959*

UNITED STATES PROTEST OF THE DESECRATION OF THE AMERICAN FLAG AND DESTRUCTION OF AMERICAN PROPERTY IN THE [PANAMA] CANAL ZONE: Note From the American Ambassador at Panamá (Harrington) to the Panamanian Minister of Foreign Relations (Moreno), November 3, 1959 1

Under instructions from my Government I have the honor to protest the unwarranted desecration that took place today of the American flag flying at the Chancery of the United States Embassy in honor of the Panamanian Independence Day by a group of approximately 150 persons. I also protest the damage to the United States Government property inflicted both at the Chancery and offices of the United States Information Service on the same occasion.

At approximately 12:45 p.m. a group congregated in front of the Chancery. Soon thereafter they lowered the American flag and raised the Panamanian flag on the staff. They thereupon tore the American flag into shreds. At the same time members of the group threw stones breaking a considerable number of windows. They thereupon departed in a group carrying the remnants of the Ameri can flag.

Earlier a large group congregated in front of the building of the United States Information Service and shattered practically all the windows on the first and second floors. Ironically enough, the United States Information Service display window featured Panamanian Independence.

My Government regards the desecration of the American flag and damage to American property as seriously endangering the good relations between our two countries. The foregoing actions, moreover, took place despite the contents of the Aide Memoire I delivered to Your Excellency on October 21.2

[NOTE: Forewarned of the possibility that the incidents described in the U.S. note of Nov. 3 might take place, the American Embassy at Panamá had delivered the following aide-mémoire to the Panamanian Foreign Ministry, Oct. 21, 1959– The Ambassador of the United States of America is appreciative of the reassuring statements made to the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim during the Ambas sador's recent absence from Panama with respect to the demonstrations which certain Panamanians have said will take place in the Canal Zone on November 3, 1959. The Government of the United States is certain that the Government of Panama will take whatever steps may be necessary in Panama to ensure peace and order and to discourage any demonstration in the Canal Zone which might have serious consequences, thereby endangering the good relations which exist between the two countries.]

American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1959, pp. 385-386, 388-389.

'Department of State press release No. 773 (text as printed in the Department of State Bulletin, Nov. 23, 1959, p. 759).

'Appended hereto.

[NOTE: The Panamanian Minister of Foreign Relations replied on Nov. 4 to Ambassador Harrington's protest as follows

MR. AMBASSADOR: I have received Your Excellency's note Number 169 of November 3 expressing Your Excellency's protest for acts of violence committed that same day by a group of persons congregated in front of the Chancery of the U.S.A. Embassy.

These actions form a part of a series of incidents which occurred yesterday [November 3] and which the Government has begun to investigate. According to information received by the Government up to the present, the acts committed in front of the Chancery of the U.S.A. Embassy were preceded by analogous acts involving a Panamanian flag in the Canal Zone.

My Government laments that which happened yesterday and in no manner could subscribe to or approve acts of the nature that gave rise to Your Excellency's protest.

Nevertheless, I should now declare to Your Excellency that, with reference to the events that happened yesterday on the border of the Canal Zone, my Government has information regarding certain unjustifiable acts, such as firing against groups of unarmed Panamanians and launching tear gas bombs in various sectors of the city, that resulted in the wounding of more than forty Panamanian citizens by action of the U.S. armed forces. My Government formally protests the attitude assumed and the acts committed at certain moments by the police forces of the Canal Zone and the military forces that came later to reinforce them. And in presenting this formal protest my Government trusts that the civilian and military authorities of the U.S. in the Canal Zone will act in future with greater consideration and prudence so that the repetition of the events we lament today might be avoided.

I take the opportunity to reiterate to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest and most distinguished consideration.]

UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE FRIC TIONS IN PANAMANIAN-UNITED STATES RELA TIONS: Summary of Conversations Between the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom) and the Panamanian Chargé d'Affaires at Washington (Morgan-Morales), Issued by the Department of State, November 10, 1959 i

Assistant Secretary of State R. R. Rubottom, Jr., on November 10 called in the Chargé d'Affaires of Panama, Arturo Morgan-Morales, to review United States-Panamanian relations with reference to the regrettable incidents which took place on November 3 and 4 in the Republic of Panama. Mr. Rubottom pointed out that the mob action, and particularly the desecration of the American flag at the U.S. Embassy, transcended the norms of courtesy habitually existing between countries which maintain friendly relations and, in passing, mentioned the absence of Panamanian police from the scene of violence at the Canal Zone border, which the United States considers a major factor contributing to the unfortunate events. Nevertheless, it was made clear that the United States seeks to dispel without delay any misunderstandings between the two Governments resulting from these deplorable incidents. Mr. Rubottom said that inflammatory public allegations served no useful purpose in our relations but, on the contrary, helped unfriendly elements who seek to exploit any breach in order to weaken the inter-American system.

Mr. Rubottom recognized that there were differences between Panama and the United States but then referred to the progress being made

1

Department of State press release No. 787 (text as printed in the Department of State Bulletin, Nov. 30, 1959, p. 787).