File No. 3691/89.

The President of Honduras to President Roosevelt.

[Telegram.—Translation.]

Pending the progress of Your Excellency’s friendly mediation, a fresh occurrence has taken place which furnishes an additional proof of the lack of formality of the Nicaraguan Government in its official conduct. Yesterday at 4 p.m. a small detachment which was reconnoitering the frontier encountered in Honduranean territory an armed force which was engaged in constructing fortifications. This was incontestably within the jurisdiction of Honduras, and was opposite an organized camp of the Nicaraguan army. Honduras found itself obliged to obstruct, completely routing it after two and a half hours of fighting and driving it from our territory toward Nicaraguan territory. This invading force was composed of political refugees from Honduras, from whom were taken proclamations and manifestos in which is shown the organization of a factional government. They were armed with weapons recognized to be those of the Nicaraguan Government. This unwarranted proceeding, committed while an endeavor was being made to reach an agreement in compliance with your excellency’s suggestion, which I accepted with the greatest pleasure, appears to place the present Government of Nicaragua without the pale of civilization, and it becomes necessary for my Government to take the most energetic measures in order to avoid a repetition of the occurrence.

I reiterate to Your Excellency the expressions of my highest esteem.

Manuel Bonilla.