The Department stated that it would be glad to see any arrangement by which a friendly settlement of the dispute might be reached and although it would be glad to assist in any friendly way towards such a settlement, it had no suggestions to make regarding the proposed Honduran offer. KELLOGG 714.1515/565: Telegram The Honduran Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs (Coello) to the Secretary of State [Translation] TEGUCIGALPA [, undated]. [Received February 28, 1928-9: 15 a. m.] The Government and people of Honduras have always appreciated with an intense feeling of gratitude the good will and the friendly spirit in which for some years past the Government of the United States has interceded to bring about a satisfactory and pacific settlement of the boundary dispute with Guatemala. Honduras has endeavored to respond to those very lofty and generous purposes with its most deferent attitude. Since 1917 when mediation began my Government never cast off any means whatsoever of achieving a final settlement of the matter and accepted from the very beginning of the mediation arbitration by His Excellency the President of the United States but, unfortunately, without getting at that time a concrete answer from Guatemala about its accepting the arbitration. Guatemala later accepted that arrangement in the course of the Central American Conferences at Washington in 1923, according to the official declaration of Secretary of State Hughes which is recorded in the journal of the Second Plenary Session of 1923 which I deposited in your Department.92 Notwithstanding that agreement and the various steps taken by Honduras to secure the signing of the convention of arbitration, Guatemala constantly refused on some pretext or other to redeem the word it had pledged and finally went so far as to deny its promise. In the meanwhile Guatemala on more than one occasion took advantage of the anomalous situation of our country to take gradual possession of our territory and invaded its integrity now by clandestine works in the zone of the status quo that had been agreed to and then by granting concessions like that which was given to the United Fruit Company on November 7, 1924, to foreign companies in territory that is clearly Honduran, in violation of our sovereignty. The arbitrary instructions of Guatemala over Honduran territory cul " See Conference on Central American Affairs, Washington, December 4, 1922– February 7, 1923 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1923), p. 56. 93 minated in the recent attack on the Chachahualia guard house which I had occasion to bring to Your Excellency's knowledge in my previous radiogram of the 14th instant. The Chachahualia guard house stands on territory that is plainly Honduran outside of the status quo of which the American Government had official knowledge through the note of November 15, 1917 from this Department to the Legation of the United States at this capital. Notwithstanding the gravity of the offence perpetrated on the territorial sovereignty of Honduras by that last outrage my Government has, in its desire to avoid a conflict fraught with disastrous consequences to the peace of Central America, carried its prudence to an extreme and in that spirit has again suggested to Guatemala the imperative necessity of arriving at the earliest possible final conclusion of the boundary dispute to which end it proposed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Guatemala to that Republic and a representative of the American government conduct a personal inspection to the end of stipulating a new provisional line which will set up a clearer more definite status quo intended to ward off further difficulties, and immediately take up subsequent negotiations for the final settlement of the matter either by direct agreement on a boundary line under the mediation of Your Excellency's enlightened government or by bringing into play the arbitration that had been agreed on and previously accepted by Guatemala. Guatemala appears on new pretexts again indefinitely to defer the question so that the difficulties would stand and at the risk of giving birth to some other conflict with worse consequences. On those antecedents and with an appeal to the good friendship of the Government of the United States I take the liberty of again beseeching Your Excellency's potent mediation to the end that you kindly interpose your good offices and influence so that the dispute may this time be brought to a final end. Expressing in advance my due thanks to Your Excellency for the great benefit bestowed on my country by your timely mediation, it affords me pleasure to renew to you the sentiment of my best and most distinguished esteem. AUGUSTO C. COELLO 714.1515/565: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Minister in Guatemala (Geissler) [Paraphrase] WASHINGTON, February 29, 1928–6 p. m. 14. Department's telegram No. 11, February 21, 8 p. m." A tele gràm has just been received by the Department from the Honduran Foreign Minister 95 with reference to the Honduran proposal described in Department's telegram under reference. The telegram states that Guatemala appears on new pretexts again indefinitely to defer the question so that the difficulties would stand and at the risk of giving birth to some other conflict with worse consequences. In the telegram the good offices of the United States are requested in order that the dispute may finally be settled. Please discuss informally and discreetly with the appropriate authorities the present differences between Guatemala and Honduras, and while not offering at this time formal mediation or good offices, try to ascertain why no reply has been made as yet to the Honduran proposal, and what reply the Government of Guatemala intends to make. You may add that it is the sincere desire of the Department that the Government of Guatemala will accept unqualifiedly the proposal for an inspection of the disputed territory and an agreement to proceed without delay to a final settlement of the boundary dispute. KELLOGG 714.1515/570: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Minister in Guatemala (Geissler) [Paraphrase] WASHINGTON, March 9, 1928-6 p. m. 19. Your telegram No. 16, March 2, 10 a. m. The Department has been informed by the Honduran Chargé that the Government of Guatemala has not yet replied to the proposal of Honduras referred to in Department's telegram No. 14, February 29, 6 p. m. The Government of Honduras is much concerned, and fears that the delay may result in further acts of aggression by Guatemala in the territory in dispute. The Department has not yet been informed by the Guatemalan Minister that his Government would accept mediation. Until I have further information regarding the attitude of Guatemala and the willingness of that Government sincerely to seek an immediate settlement of the boundary dispute through negotiation, I cannot reply to the telegram from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Honduras. Report present situation by telegraph. 55 Supra. "Not printed. KELLOGG 714.1515/576: Telegram The Minister in Guatemala (Geissler) to the Secretary of State GUATEMALA, March 10, 1928-6 p. m. [Received March 12-11:30 a. m.] 19. Referring to the Department's telegram of March 9, 6 p. m. I have just conferred with the President and the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs. The President instructed the latter to send the following telegram to the Minister of Guatemala in Washington: "The instructions of the President have already been sent by mail. Pending receipt of the same, inform the Secretary of State that Guatemala desires mediation and is agreeable to sending Commission to inspect territory and fix provisional line. It is desired that Commission be composed of both countries and representation United States. This Government is disposed to discuss final settlement as soon [as] provisional line is established." The President told me that Honduras should dismiss all apprehension of further aggressive steps since Guatemala meant only to stop encroachments. He also said that Guatemala will name its representative on the Commission as soon as informed that details concerning its composition have been agreed upon in Washington and that his Government desires a speedy adjustment of the matter. 98 With despatch 1833, mailed March 7,97 I forwarded a copy furnished me by the President of a map he sent to Recinos, according to which Guatemala will contend for a line following Merendon to Ildefonso, thence to a point east of Motagua. Repeated to the Legation in Honduras. GEISSLER 714.1515/588 Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs (Morgan) of a Conversation With the Guatemalan Minister (Recinos), March 15, 1928 The Minister told me that he was authorized by his Government to say that Guatemala was very anxious to settle the question of the boundary dispute between Guatemala and Honduras and felt that this could be done only through the assistance of the United States. The Guatemalan Government was prepared to accept the invitation of the Government of Honduras to appoint a Commission to inspect the disputed territory and endeavor to fix a provisional line defining the "Not printed. 08 Adrian Recinos, Guatemalan Minister at Washington. status quo. This Commission to be presided over by an American, designated by the Secretary of State. I replied that this was very gratifying to the Department and that I sincerely hoped something could be accomplished towards settling this long-pending dispute. That if the Department could assist in any way it would be very glad to have the opportunity to do so. I told the Minister that the Secretary was very anxious to answer the telegram which he had received from the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Honduras on February 28 (which was read to the Guatemalan Minister when he called the following day) but that the Secretary had been unable to answer this telegram until he had some definite information as to the attitude of the Guatemalan Government, so that he would know what the two Governments were desirous of having him do towards helping them. That is, he did not want to reply to Dr. Coello by saying what had already been said—that the Department would be glad to do anything which would be acceptable to both Governments. Dr. Recinos said he fully understood that and for that reason he was glad that he was now able to explain the views of his Government. In discussing the composition of the proposed Commission I asked the Minister whether in his opinion it would not be a good idea to take this matter up in accordance with the Central American Convention of 1923, establishing Commissions of Inquiry." I pointed out that this Convention was drawn up to deal with just such questions as that which now exists between Honduras and Guatemala. Guatemala had ratified the Convention. The United States had prepared a list of American citizens who could serve on such a Commission. It would, in my opinion, greatly simplify the procedure if Guatemala and Honduras, having agreed to the formation of a Commission, would act in accordance with this Convention, which laid down. specific rules of procedure. Furthermore, I felt sure that the Minister agreed with me that as this Convention was most beneficial to the Central American nations it would be an excellent thing to have it invoked in this case and thus maintained and strengthened. If it were ignored, and such an important question as this were settled by a Commission similar in form to that provided by the Convention, and yet without any reference to the Convention, this would serve to some extent to discredit the Convention and make it less useful in future. The Minister entirely agreed with me on this point and said he thought it a most happy suggestion. He said he would study the Convention again and communicate at once with his Government and find out whether it approved of the suggestion, and let me know. I 09 Foreign Relations, 1923, vol. 1, p. 321; also Conference on Central American Affairs, p. 392. |