Legation of
the United States in Central America,
La Libertad, April 18, 1885.
(Received May 16.)
[Inclosure—Translation.]
The bases of the treaty with Honduras.
The treaty concluded in Namasigüe with the Government of Honduras is the
following:
With the desire that the difficulties created between the Republic of
Honduras and the allies Costa Rica, Salvador, and Nicaragua in
consequence of the decree of March 7,
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issued by the Congress of Honduras, terminate in a
peaceful manner, and that they may be drawn yet closer together, they
have concluded through their respective representatives, General
Lisandro Letona, on the part of the Governments of Salvador and Costa
Rica, General Joaquin Zavala, for the Government of Nicaragua, and Dr.
Adolfo Zúnigafor the Government of Honduras, duly authorized, the
following treaty:
- Article 1. The Assembly of Guatemala
having revoked the decree of the 28th of February of the present
year, in which General J. Rufino Barrios declared himself
supreme military chief in Central. America in order to carry out
the national union, the Government of Honduras, which had
adhered to the above-mentioned decree, considers itself freed
from all compromise with Guatemala and things return to the
state which they were in before the decree issued on the 7th of
March by the Congress of Honduras.
- Art. 2. In consequence, the
Government of Honduras remains united in a defensive alliance
with the allied Governments of Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa
Rica, in accordance with existing treaties. The Government of
Honduras will use its good offices to obtain the organization of
a new government in Guatemala, which shall give facilities and
offer efficient guarantees for a satisfactory arrangement of
peace between the Governments of Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa
Rica, and that of Guatemala.
- Art. 3. The Government of Honduras
will disarm and concentrate its forces, reducing them to the
garrisons ordinary in time of peace, unless the public order
require their being increased, and for their part the allied
Governments of Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica will not
threaten in any way Honduras, withdrawing the forces they have
on the frontiers of Honduras within a period not to exceed
fifteen days; the Government of Honduras shall have a like
period to disarm and concentrate as stipulated in this
article.
- Art. 4. There not being armed
emigration proceeding from the Republics of Salvador and
Nicaragua in the territory of Honduras, but only refugees, the
Government of Honduras shall proceed with its concentration in
such manner as not to cause injury to the neighboring and sister
Republics in entire conformity with the existing
treaties.
- Art. 5. The Government of Honduras
contracts close and special alliance with the allied Governments
of Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, and pledges itself to
exert all its forces to carry out the reorganization of the
Central American nationality by the rational and pacific means
as prescribed by civilization.
Additional article. The Government of Honduras
will permit the transit of the troops of the allied Governments of
Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, for the operations which it may be
necessary to employ against Guatemala, until the result of which the
second article of this convention treats be obtained. In consequence,
the Government of Honduras consents that the armies of Nicaragua and
Costa Rica remain, pending their undertaking their operations, in those
places on the territory of Honduras which they at present occupy, and
even permits that with the same aim they can occupy others which maybe
absolutely necessary, giving that Government the corresponding notice.
In pledge of which a declaring that the stipulations of the present
treaty are of immediate application, we sign three copies of one tenor
in Namasigüe, the 11th of April of 1885.
- L. LETONA,
- JOAQUIN ZAVALA,
- ADOLFO ZÚNIGA.
