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10 A.M. — Dr. Don Ricardo J. Alfaro, Minister of Panama in Washington, hur ried to the State Department, urged upon Assistant Secretary of State Francis White immediate recognition of the new Government of Panama.
Secretary of State Henry Lewis Stimson kept out of sight. But correspondents were told that Panama is an exception to the U. S. rule of not recognizing revolutionary governments in Central America (see p. 19). They jumped to the conclusion that Minister Alfaro would shortly win his point, be recognized by the U. S. as the true and legal President of Panama.
5 P. M. — In the Central Plaza of Pan ama City, Senor Harmodio Arias, No. 1 revolutionist and Prime Minister, was sworn in by the Supreme Court as "Pro visional President," pending the arrival of President Alfaro from Washington.
Drawled the great Lawyer-Revolutionist, just 15 hours after his men fired their first shots:
"I feel deeply grateful for the tact, courteousness and great earnestness with which Mr. Davis [U. S. Minister] proceeded to cope with a very difficult situation, especially by coming here, to interview President Arosemena at the risk of his life, when the firing was still going on. I am sure the people of Panama deeply appreciate his disinterested action.
"We are going to have honesty and fair ness in the government and will abide by all contracts, whether held by Panamanians or foreigners.
"I did not want this place, but some body had to take the responsibility. I am only temporary."
In Washington the State Department stated that Minister Davis had made no previous report of trouble brewing, that in short he was quite as surprised as anybody could possibly have been by what happened. Stock explanations for the revolution: 1) "hard times," 2) "corruption of the Arosemena regime," and 3) "unpopularity" incurred by Senor Arosemena's recent, drastic program of balancing the budget, cutting civil service salaries, unpleasantly tightening Panama's belt.
To "protect the life" of ex-President Arosemena the successful revolutionaries appointed four of themselves a "Tribunal of Honor," to keep a keen eye on him lest he stage a countercoup.