General Claims Commission (United States and Panama)
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REPORTS OF INTERNATIONAL ARBITRAL AWARDS RECUEIL DES SENTENCES ARBITRALES General Claims Commission (United States and Panama) constituted under the Claims Convention of July 28, 1926, modified by the Convention of December 17, 1932 (22 May 1933-29 June 1933) VOLUME VI pp. 293-386 NATIONS UNIES - UNITED NATIONS Copyright (c) 2006 PART III GENERAL CLAIMS COMMISSION UNITED STATES AND PANAMA CONSTITUTED UNDER THE CLAIMS CONVENTION OF JULY 28, 1926, MODIFIED BY THE CONVENTION OF DECEMBER 17, 1932 PARTIES: United States of America, Panama. SPECIAL AGREEMENT: July 28, 1926, modified December 17, 1932. COMMISSIONERS : Dr. Miguel Cruchaga Tocornal (Chile), Presiding Commissioner (1932), Baron Daniel Wigbold van Heeckeren (Nether- lands), Presiding Commissioner (1933), Joseph R. Baker, American Commissioner ( 1932), Elihu Root, Jr., American Commissioner (1933), Horacio F. Alfaro, Panamanian Commissioner (1932-1933). REPORTS: American and Panamanian General Claims Arbitration under the Conventions between the United States and Panama of July 28, 1926, and December 17, 1932, Report of Bert L. Hunt, Agent for the United States. (United States Government Printing Office, Washington, 1934.) Comisiôn General de Reclamaciones entre Panama y Estados Unidos de America. (Publicaciôn Oficial, Panama, Imprenta Nacional, 1934.) * 1 A series of separate publications concerning each claim. 297 HISTORICAL NOTE The General Claims Arbitration under the Convention concluded on July 28, 1926, between the United States and Panama had for its object virtu- ally all claims arisen on either side since November 3, 1903, when Panama declared its independence from Colombia. Excepted from the arbitration were the so-called Colon fire claims dating back to March 31, 1885, and which the parties hoped it would be possible in the future to submit to arbitration together with Colombia, and claims for compensation on account of damages caused in connexion with the construction of the Panama Canal, which would continue to be disposed of as usually by the Joint Land Commission under the Panama Canal Convention of November 18, 1903. The parties agreed, never- theless, that two claims of the latter kind, the Caselli and Monteverde claims, would be submitted to the Commission provided for by the Convention of July 28, 1926. Ratification of the Convention of July 28, 1926, did not take place sooner than September 11, 1931, as far as the United States, and September 25, 1931, as far as Panama is concerned. Ratifications were exchanged on October 3, 1931. According to article II of the Convention, the Commission was to meet for the first time in Washington within six months after the exchange of ratifi- cations of the Convention, i.e., before April 4, 1932. Under Article VI, the Commission was bound to decide within one year from its first meeting all claims filed, i.e., before April 4, 1933. The first meeting of the Commission actually took place on April 1, 1932. The Commission then adopted its rules, setting August 22, 1932, as the last date on which memorials of claims should be filed, and adjourned to reconvene not before November 21, 1932. When thus it became clear that the work of the Commission could not be completed within the period allowed by the Conven- tion, a second Convention was concluded by the parties on December 17, 1932. modifying the first one by extension of the original time-limit to July 1, 1933. Ratifications of the second Convention were exchanged on March 25, 1933. After the selection of a new President, Baron D. W. van Heeckeren (Nether- lands), who took the place of Dr. Cruchaga Tocornal (Chile) who had become Minister for Foreign Affairs of his country, the Commission from March 2, 1933, met regularly and brought its task to an end on June 29, 1933. The Commission rendered 19 awards in favour of the United States, awarding $114, 396.25, and four in favour of Panama, awarding $3,150. 299 BIBLIOGRAPHY Convention of July 28, 1926: L.N.T.S., vol. 138, pp. 120-126; U.S. Treaty Ser., No. 842; State Papers, vol. 131, pp. 604-608; de Martens, N.R.G., 3rd series, vol. 25, p. 3. Convention of December 17, 1932: L.N.T.S., vol. 138, pp. 131-133; U.S. Treaty Ser., No. 860; State Papers, vol. 135, pp. 670-671; de Martens, N.R.G., 3rd series, vol. 27, p. 328. L. H. Woolsey, "United States-Panama Claims Commission", Am. J. Int. Law, vol. 25 (1931), pp. 520-523. George A. Finch, "The Panama-United States Claims Commission", Am. J. Int. Law, vol. 27 (1933), pp. 750-752. Bert L. Hunt, American and Panamanian General Claims Arbitration under the Convention between the United States and Panama of July 28, 1926, and December 17, 1932, Report of—, Agent for the United States. (United States Government Printing Office, Washington, 1934.) "The United States-Panama General Claims Commission", Am. J. Int. Law, vol. 28 (1934), pp. 61-73. Edwin M. Borchard, "The United States-Panama Claims Arbitration", Am. J. Int. Law, vol. 29 (1935), pp. 99-105. Wilhelm Friede, "Entscheidung der auf Grund der Abkommen zweischen den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika und Panama vam 28. Juli 1926 und 17. Dezember 1932 einge- setzten General Claims Commission im Falle de Sabla, vom 29. Juni 1933", Z.a.ô.R.u.V., Band IV (1934), pp. 925-928. "Die Enlscheidungen der auf Grund der Abkommen zwischen den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika und Panama vom 28. Juli 1926 und 17. Dezember 1932 eingsetzten General Claims Commission", Z.a.o.R.u.V., Band V (1935), pp. 452-466. 301 Conventions CLAIMS CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND PANAMA Signed July 28, 1926. Ratifications exchanged October 3, 1931 1 The United States of America and the Republic of Panama, desiring to settle and adjust amicably claims by the citizens of each country against the other, have decided to enter into a Convention with this object, and to this end have nominated as their plenipotentiaries: The President of the United States of America, the Honorable Frank B. Kellogg, Secretary of State of the United States of America; and The President of the Republic of Panama, the Honorable Doctor Ricardo J. Alfaro, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Panama to the United States and the Honorable Doctor Eusebio A. Morales, Envoy Extra- ordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Panama on special mission; Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers found to be in due and proper form, have agreed upon the following articles: A-RTICLE I All claims against the Republic of Panama arising since November 3, 1903, except the so-called Colon Fire Claims hereafter referred to, and which at the time they arose were those of citizens of the United States of America, whether corporations, companies, associations, partnerships or individuals, for losses or damages suffered by persons or by their properties, and all claims against the United States of America arising since November 3, 1903, and which at the time they arose were those of citizens of the Republic of Panama, whether corporations, companies, associations, partnerships or individuals, for losses or damages suffered by persons or by their properties; all claims for losses or damages suffered by citizens of either country, by reason of losses or damages suffered by any corporation, company, association or partnership, in which such citizens have or have had, a substantial and bona fide interest, provided an allotment to the claimant by the corporation, company, association or partnership, of his proportion of the loss or damage suffered is presented by the claimant to the Commission; and all claims for losses or damage originating from acts of officials or others acting for either Government, and resulting in injustice, and which claims may have been presented to either Government for its interposition with the other, and which have remained unsettled, as well as any other such claims which may be filed by either Government within the time hereinafter specified, shall be submitted to a Commission consisting of three members for decision in accordance with the principles of international law, justice and equity. As an exception to the claims to be submitted to such Commission, unless by later specific agreement of the two Contracting Parties, 1 Source: L.N.T.S., vol. 138, pp. 120-126. 302 UNITED STATES AND PANAMA are claims for compensation on account of damages caused in the manner set forth in article VI of the Treaty of November 18, 1903, for the construction of the Panama Canal, which shall continue to be heard and decided by the Joint Commission provided for in that article of the Treaty. With regard to the exception above made respecting the claims for losses suffered by American citizens as a result of the fire that occurred in the City of Colon on March 31, 1885, the Government of Panama agrees in principle to the arbitration of such claims under a Convention to which the Republic of Colombia shall be invited to become a party and which shall provide for the creation or selection of an arbitral tribunal to determine the following questions: first, whether the Republic of Colombia incurred any liability for losses sustained by American citizens on account of the fire that took place in the City of Colon on the 31st of March 1885; and, second, in case it should be determined in the arbitration that there is an original liability on the part of Colombia, to what extent, if any, the Republic of Panama has succeeded Colombia in such liability on account of her separation from Colombia on November 3, 1903, and the Government of Panama agrees to co-operate with the Government of the United States by means of amicable representations in the negotiation of such arbitral agreement between the three countries.