Copy of letter from William H. Taft to Jose Domingo de Obaldia
President-elect Taft advises President Obaldia of Panama that going forward with his country’s proposed government timber contract would be a critical mistake. If the deal proved to be good for the government and bad for the company that received the contract, there are insufficient safeguards in place to ensure the work is completed. If the timber is extremely profitable, the Panamanian government could find itself controlled by a private company. The United States would also be displeased to see another entity gain so much power in Panama. Taft shares this advice confidentially, and in an unofficial capacity. In a postscript, he assures Obaldia that he was not influenced by the “malignantly slanderous reports” on this topic in the American press, and he thanks Obaldia for the previous night’s “beautiful and magnificent entertainment.”
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1909-02-05
