THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER 20, 1918. 401
No. 366.-The following translation of a Decree by the President of the Republic of Panama ordering certain measures with regard to the visa or authentication of pass- ports of foreign citizens or subjects travelling to Panama are published for general information.
A. G. M. FLETCHER,
Colonial Secretary.
20th September, 1918.
TRANSLATION.
REPUBLIC OF PANAMA-DECREE NUMBER 14 OF 1918 (OF APRIL 29th), ORDERING CERTAIN MEASURES WITH REGARD TO THE VISA OR AUTHENTICATION OF PASSPORTS OF FOREIGN CITIZENS OR SUBJECTS TRAVELLING TO PANAMA.
The President of the Republic in the exercise of his powers under Law 61 of 1917, and
CONSIDERING
That the state of war in which the Republic finds itself requires that all necessary precautions should be taken to prevent espionage ;
That one of these precautions is the insistence on passports and other documents which certify legally the nationality and character of travellers;
That certain Panamanian Consuls in levying fees for the authentication or visa of passports have been applying, in the absence of a special disposition, the fee for the issue of passports to foreigners, which has been highly onerous and has occasioned protests which may have serious consequences for the Republic, turning away from its territory the stream of tourists and travellers in transit which it is the duty of the authorities of the Republic to attract by all the means in their power; and
That neither Law 39 of 1914, regulating the Consular Service, nor the Fiscal Code provide for the case of the visa of passports or fix the fees to be paid for this service, leaving thus a defect which it is expedient to remedy without delay;
DECREES
Article 1.-Every foreigner travelling to the territory of the Republic, whether in transit or to reside there, shall provide himself with a passport from the Government of his country or through its diplomatic or consular representative in the place in which he resides, and have it visé or authenticated by the Panamanian Consul at the place, or by the United States Consul if there be no Panamanian consular representative.
Article 2.-The Panamanian Consuls, or, in places where there are none, those of the United States, shall viser or authenticate the passports of foreigners who request it as soon as the parties interested fill up in triplicate the declaration given in Form No. 1, accompanying the present Decree. The parties interested shall affix their photograph to each copy of the form in question in the place indicated.
Article 3.-The Panamanian Consuls, or, in places where there are none, the Consular Officers of the United States, shall send to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, immediately after the passport of a foreigner is visé, a copy of the declaration made by the latter, and shall retain one copy in the Consular archives and deliver the third to the interested party.
Article 4.-For the visa or authentication of the passports of foreigners the Pana- manian Consuls, or those of the United States in places where there is no Panamanian Consul, shall collect the sum of two Balboas (B/2.00), applying by analogy the tariff established by Article 72 of Law 63 of 1917 for the authentication of the signatures of home or foreign officials.
Article 5.-Every foreigner who may arrive in the territory of the Republic with a passport which is not visé or authenticated by the Panamanian Consul, or by the Consul of the United States in places where there is no Panamanian Consul, shall be detained by the respective authorities until he is legally identified and shall be reshipped at his own cost to the place from which he came should it be deemed necessary.