Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 9, 1891

Mr. Kimberly to Mr. Blaine .

Legation of the United States in Central America,
Guatemala , January 24, 1891. (Received February 13.)

No. 238.]

Sir: Referring to your instruction,^* No. 7, of December 22, 1890, I have the honor to report that, 1 o’clock to-day being the hour set for my interview with the minister of foreign affairs regarding the Colima arms matter, I promptly appeared at the hour named, and after a discussion of probably one hour, in which his excellency displayed much courtesy, he informed me that neither he nor his Government should be censured; that the responsibility of noncompliance lay with Mr. Mizner; that at the conference referred to it was understood that Col. Toriello, the commandant who committed these faults, was to report to Mr. Mizner, under instructions of his Government, to arrange the manner and time in which the formalities agreed upon were to take place, and that Mr. Mizner would inform this Government of the arrangement and time, which the minister alleges he neglected to do, assuring me of his sincere desire that these formalities should take place, and acknowledging his Government to be at fault, and expressing the wish that I should intimate what action be taken under the circumstances, not deeming it prudent or necessary, at this late date, to depart from the terms set forth in the conference referred to. I courteously requested that the formalities already mentioned and agreed upon should be forthcoming immediately, and named Monday, the 26th instant, and not later, that Col. Toriello, the same commandant, appear at this legation to confer with me regarding the time and manner in which they are to take place, and I shall instruct our United States consular agent at San José to observe if they do occur, and will in connection therewith notify Capt. Johnston, of the steamer City of New York (Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s line), who commanded the steamer San Bias at the time the arms were so unceremoniously returned, to inform me if the strict compliance of the terms therein mentioned was made to him, a copy of which letter I herewith inclose.

I have, etc.,

Samuel Kimberly,
Chargé d’Affaires ad int.

[Inclosure.]

Mr. Kimberly to Capt. Johnston .

Legation of the United States in Central America,
Guatemala , January 28, 1891 .

Sir: I take pleasure in informing you that on to-morrow, Thursday, the 29th day of January, in the afternoon, Col. Toriello, the commandant of the port of San José, will, in full-dress uniform, including his sword, proceed to visit your ship and seeking you will then and there make such explanation and offer such apology as may in your judgment be satisfactory to you and most meet to the honor of our flag. This action is taken as the result of an interview I had with the minister of foreign affairs of this Republic, and in expiation of the manner in which the arms and ammunition were removed by this commandant from the Pacific Mail steamer Colima last July, and the very unceremonious way in which they were returned to the steamer San Bias during the period you were in command.

You will extend to the commandant during these formalities such courtesy as the occasion calls for.

I have, etc.,

Samuel Kimberly,
Chargé d’Affaires ad int.

1. Erroneously printed in For. Rel., 1890, p. 142, as No. 225.