File No. 3691/663–665.
The Secretary of State to the Salvadorian Minister.
Washington, June 20, 1907.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 10th instant, with which you inclose a copy of a dispatch received by you from the minister for foreign affairs of Salvador covering an official reprint of the treaty of Amapala and soliciting the consent of the President of the United States to act as arbitrator as indicated in Article III of the treaty.
The said Article III, in rough translation, reads as follows:
Meanwhile, to give effect to the last clause, it is stipulated that any differences which may occur hereafter between El Salvador and Nicaragua, affecting their friendly relations, shall be settled through obligatory arbitration by the Presidents of the United States and Mexico jointly, who shall be authorized to nominate a third arbitrator, whose decision shall be final. The President of Mexico may delegate his authority to the Mexican ambassador at Washington or to the person the latter may designate.
The treaty of Amapala having been concluded upon the advice and with the friendly cooperation of the United States and Mexico, the President will gladly give his services toward the faithful observance of its provisions if and when occasion therefor shall arise. The President could, however, indicate his willingness to accept the office of arbitrator only if invited to do so by both parties to the treaty in coincident or identic communications addressed to him through the diplomatic channel, and thus far no such communication has been received from the Government of Nicaragua.
Accept, etc.,