text of the convention of peace celebrated on board the cruiser marble head, of the navy of the united states of america.

[Translation.]

The friendly initiative of Their Excellencies Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the United States of America, and General Porfirio Diaz, President of the United States of Mexico, having been accepted by the Governments of the Republics of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to discuss the bases upon which peace, unfortunately interrupted between the three Republics, is to be established, and to assure as far as possible the permanent enjoyment of its benefits, Messrs. José Rosa Pacas and Salvador Gallegos, delegates from the Republic of El Salvador, Francisco Bertrand, delegate from the Republic of Honduras, and Arturo Ubico, Jose Pinto, Juan Barrios M. and Manuel Cabral, delegates from the Republic of Guatemala, assembled on board the cruiser Marblehead of the United States Navy, and after examining their respective credentials and fully deliberating on the object of the conference, under the honorary presidency of Their Excellencies William Lawrence Merry and Leslie Combs, ministers plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republics of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and of His Excellency Frederico Gamboa, minister plenipotentiary of the United States of Mexico, the first named being, besides, the special delegate from the Republic of Costa Rica to the conference of peace, to which also attended in the same capacity Mr. Modesto Barrios, for the Republic of Nicaragua; they have agreed upon the following terms:

  • First. The Republics of El Salvador and Honduras return to a state of peace with the Republic of Guatemala, relegating to oblivion their past differences. Consequently, they will concentrate their respective armies within three days counted from that following the signing of the present Convention, and will disarm them within the subsequent eight days, leaving only the garrisons ordinarily maintained in their cities and the movable detachments serving on police duty.
  • Second. The contracting parties will reciprocally deliver the prisoners of war and will care for, free of charge, the wounded who may be in their respective territories, until they may be able to return to their homes or may be demanded by their respective Governments. In the same manner all political prisoners now held shall at once be placed at liberty; and each delegation shall recommend to its respective Government that a general amnesty be decreed as soon as possible.
  • Third. The high contracting parties bind themselves to concentrate the political refugees who are in or may come to their respective territories, as also to exercise surveillance over their conduct in order to prevent their taking improper advantage of their asylum and their machinations against the tranquility and public order of the country whence they may have emigrated.
  • Fourth. Within two months from this date the contracting parties shall celebrate a general treaty of peace, amity, and navigation, and the capital of the Republic of Costa Rica is hereby designated for the meeting of the representatives of the three Governments fully authorized and for their negotiations.
  • In the meantime it is agreed that all international stipulations binding the contracting parties shall remain in force, and specially those of the Second Pan-American Conference assembled at Mexico.
  • Fifth. If, contrary to expectations, any one of the high contracting parties shall fail in the future in any of the points agreed upon in this treaty, or should give cause for new differences, these shall be submitted to arbitration, Their Excellencies the Presidents of the United States of America and of the [Page 852] United States of Mexico being hereby designated as arbitrators, to which arbitration shall also be submitted the recent actual difficulties between Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

The present convention remains under the guarantee of the loyalty of the Governments interested and of the moral sanction of the Governments of the mediating and participating nations.

Without prejudice to the immediate execution of this treaty, the exchange of the ratifications shall take place by exchange of notes in the cities of Guatemala, San Salvador and Tegucigalpa, at the latest on the thirtieth of the current month.


  • J. R. Pacas.
  • Salvador Gallegos.
  • F. Bertrand.
  • Arturo Ubico.
  • J. Pinto.
  • Juan Barrios M.
  • Manuel Cabral.

Honorary presidents:
William Lawrence Merry.
Leslie Combs.
F. Gamboa.
Modesto Barrios
.

At the invitation of the legations:
R. T. Mulligan,
Commander, U. S. N., Commanding Marblehead.

By appointment from Minister William L. Merry, as the representative of the Government of Costa Rica.

Salvador Gallegos. (h).