Palm Sunday riot in Panama brings hundreds of U.S. sailors ashore to protect American residents

In the midst of Palm Sunday celebrations in Panama City, an argument between young white Panamanians and a black to whom they owed money escalated into a full scale riot with troops called out.  A tragic and angry exchange of gunfire killed the commander of the soldiers and the situation became very tense.  The U.S. Consul made a pre-arranged signal to the U.S. Navy vessels in the harbor and eight hundred men were speedily dispatched to lay off the beach.  The riot petered out, however, and the sailors and marines were back on their ships before midnight.  (By John Osborne)