Mr. Hunter to Mr. Hay.
Guatemala and Honduras,
Guatemala, January 28, 1899.
Sir: Referring to Department’s cablegram, dated December 6, 1898, instructing me to address the Executive of Honduras offering to present my original credentials, I have the honor to inform you that on receipt of said instructions I wired the President of Honduras and our consul at Tegucigalpa as follows:
Guatemala, December 7, 1898.
His Excellency Señor Don
Policarpo Bonilla,
President of
Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras:
The union of the United States of Central America having been dissolved, I beg to ask if I can now be officially received by Your Excellency for the purpose of presenting an autograph letter from the President of the United States, accrediting me to your Government as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America. I embrace this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my most distinguished consideration.
W. Godfrey Hunter.
Guatemala, December 7, 1898.
Hon. Frederick H.
Allison,
United States Consul,
Tegucigalpa, Honduras:
In accordance with telegraphic instructions from Washington I have this day wired His Excellency the President of Honduras asking if I can now be officially received by him for the purpose of presenting an autograph letter from the President of the United States accrediting me to his Government as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America. Please seek an interview [Page 356] with the President and procure if possible an early decision and advise me of the result. I expect the President to respond, but shall be obliged if you wall reply also.
W. Godfrey Hunter.
To which they replied by wire as follows:
National Palace,
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 8,
1898.
Minister of the United
States,
Guatemala:
I have the honor to inform you that as circumstances have changed in this country, relative to foreign relations, by reason of the dissolution of the United States of Central America, there is now no hindrance to your official reception.
I am your most obedient servant,
P. Bonilla.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 8, 1898.
Hon. W. Godfrey
Hunter,
United States Minister,
Guatemala:
The Government informs me that an answer has been sent to you saying that no reason exists why your credentials should not be received.
Frederick H.
Allison,
United States
Consul.
In compliance with the above I transmitted by mail through the minister of foreign affairs of Honduras my original credentials and letter to President Bonilla. I also wrote our consul as follows:
Legation of the United
States,
Guatemala and Honduras,
Guatemala, December 20, 1898.
His Excellency the Minister
of Foreign Affairs,
Tegucigalpa,
Honduras.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith inclosed a communication for His Excellency Senor Don Policarpo Bonilla, President of Honduras, which contains two autograph letters from the President of the United States—one accrediting me to the Government of His Excellency President Bonilla as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States and the other recalling my predecessor, the Hon. Macgrane Coxe; also an address in the form of a letter from me.
Please present these in the usual way and do me the kindness to mail to me here President’s response.
The office copies of these two letters of President McKinley I had the honor to transmit to your Government on the 26th of January, 1898.
I embrace this opportunity to extend to your excellency the assurance of my distinguished consideration.
W. Godfrey Hunter.
Legation of the United
States,
Guatemala and Honduras,
Guatemala, December 24, 1898.
His Excellency Señor Don
Policarpo Bonilla,
President of
the Republic of Honduras.
Mr. President: In accordance with your excellency’s telegraphic communication of the 8th, in answer to mine of the 7th instant, I have the honor to transmit herewith inclosed an autograph letter from the President of the United States accrediting me to your Government as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America.
It is a source of deep regret that pressing official duties prevent my leaving here at this time for Honduras, thus depriving me of the extreme pleasure of presenting in person this letter to your excellency. I shall, however, quite soon do myself the honor to visit your capital for the purpose of meeting your excellency officially.
I beg to assure you that the President and people of the United States have viewed with genuine satisfaction the rapid march of progress in Honduras during the administration of your excellency, and to add that my highest ambition shall have been [Page 357] gratified if, by my presence near your Government, the cordial and friendly relations which have always existed between the Republics of the United States and Honduras may be continued and promoted.
I have the honor to transmit herewith inclosed the letter of recall of my distinguished predecessor, the Hon. Macgrane Cox, who resigned while on leave of absence, thereby preventing him from presenting it in person.
I embrace this opportunity to renew to your excellency the assurance of my most distinguished consideration.
W. Godfrey Hunter.
Guatemala, December 24, 1898.
Hon. Frederick H.
Allison,
United States Consul,
Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
My Dear Sir: Accept sincere thanks for your kind offices in the matter of my official reception by the President of Honduras.
The President kindly informs me by wire that I will be officially received by him.
On account of press of official business I can not leave here at this time and have therefore taken the liberty to transmit by mail to the minister of foreign affairs my credentials, and have asked that I be officially received in this way.
I expect to visit Honduras quite soon, but would like to be recognized now in order to enable me to transact some official business with Honduras long neglected.
Please see the minister of foreign affairs and the President, if necessary, and ask that this favor be granted.
Sincerely yours,
W. Godfrey Hunter.
On the 22d instant I received the following telegram:
Tegucigalpa, January 22, 1899.
Hon. W. Godfrey
Hunter,
United States Minister,
Guatemala:
You have been officially recognized by this Government.
Frederick H.
Allison,
United States
Consul.
In answer I wired as follows:
Guatemala, January 23, 1899.
Hon. Frederick H.
Allison,
United States Consul,
Tegucigalpa, Honduras:
Your telegram received. Accept sincere thanks for your kindness. Wire date of my official recognition, that I may cable to Washington.
W. Godfrey Hunter..
To which the minister of foreign affairs wired as follows:
Executive. Palace,
Tegucigalpa, January 25, 1899.
The Minister of the United States of America:
By the next mail your excellency will receive the answer to the autographs, and the decree in which your excellency is recognized in his high position.
I protest to your excellency the assurances of my distinguished consideration.
Angel Ugarte,
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On receipt of the decree referred to by the minister of foreign affairs I shall transmit a copy to the Department.
I have, etc.,