Memorandum from Secretary of State James Byrnes to President Harry S. Truman, with Attachment

Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 2
FEB 21 1946 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT: Racial D1scrimination in the Panama Canal Zone Reference is made to your conversation of January 8 with Charles W. Taussig, Chairman, United States Section of the Anglo-American Caribbean Commission, relative to the racial-labor problem existing in the Panama Canal Zone. You asked Mr. Taussig for a short memorandum on this subject and a suggestion for action. On January 9 Mr. Taussig wrote you that since the racial problem of the Canal Zone was so closely associated with the relations between the Republic of Panama and this Government he had asked Assistant Secretary Mr. Braden to prepare the memorandum. I am therefore enclosing a brief background memorandum and a state- ment of the steps which are being taken to acquire the full information desired by you. JAMES E. BYRNES Enclosure: Background memorandum described above.