Mr. Adee to Mr. Mizner.
Washington, July 19, 1890.
Mr. Adee informs Mr. Mizner that the Department has received advices of the detention by the Guatemalan Government of the Colima, a steamship of the Pacific Mail Company, which sailed from San Francisco for Panama on the 3d of July, carrying some arms for a port in Salvador, and that the arms were seized. He adds that war was not then in existence between Salvador and Guatemala, nor is it known to exist now; that the announcements by the two Governments of a state of observation contradict the existence of war; that no international right on Guatemala’s part to seize the ship and arms is perceived by the Department; that Guatemala detains the arms at her own risk; that the release of the ship must not be delayed; that this Government dissents from the seizures and from the suggestion in Mr. Mizner’s telegram received to-day; that the United States would be glad in any proper way to aid impartially to establish friendly relations among the States of Central America, but can not countenance injuries committed by them against our citizens and their property, nor be a party to any conference concerning the rights of Salvador in which Salvador does not participate. Answering Mr. Mizner’s suggestion that war may be declared by Guatemala simply for the purpose of seizing the arms, Mr. Adee informs Mr. Mizner that, in the opinion of this Government, prior unlawful acts can not be validated by declarations of such a character.