Minister Dodge to the Secretary of State.
San Salvador, July 21, 1908.
Sir: I have the honor to inform yon that on the 19th instant I received the following telegram “en clair” from Mr. Linard, American consul at La Ceiba:
Local consular corps representing neutral interests in earnest effort to prevent unnecessary bloodshed and the promiscuous killing of innocent noncombatants in giving local commandant pertinent information and advice of intended attack have been maliciously misinterpreted by local authorities, who have made libelous and unwarranted representations to President Davila, eliciting from him ungracious message to us and to the local authorities. Publicity of the telegrams on part of local authorities have emboldened scurrilous and pusillanimous attack by local nonenities, who are endeavoring to arouse feeling against foreign element and are openly countenanced, if not heartily aided, by the authorities. Foreigners and their interests are in great jeopardy as a result. Immediate arrival of war boat necessary to adjust situation. Have advised Washington of facts and request your immediate intervention that local commandant be properly advised as to his attitude in forbidding the printing and distribution of inflammatory and insulting printed matter against the local consular corps.
I immediately addressed a telegram in cipher to Mr. Alger, American consul at Tegucigalpa, giving him the substance of Mr. Linard’s report and summarizing it in courteous language for communication to Mr. Fiallos, Honduranean minister for foreign affairs, adding that I trusted that the minister would immediately investigate this matter and the alleged inimical attitude of the local authorities, and would see that all proper measures were taken to insure full protection to American interests and proper respect for the American consul. I advised Mr. Linard of my action, requesting him to keep me informed.
To-day I have received a telegram in reply from Mr. Alger, informing me that the matter will be investigated, and meanwhile that American interests are in no danger and that consuls will have proper respect shown to them. Mr. Alger added that the minister informed him unofficially that if the charges made against the consuls are proved, their exequaturs will be canceled. I have now communicated this information to Mr. Linard, excepting the unofficial information, and have requested him to furnish me with a full report of the matter.
There seems to have been a good deal of apprehension on the Atlantic coast of Honduras of a revolutionary movement breaking out [Page 457] there, judging from the telegrams sent to me by our consuls at Puerto Cortes and La Ceiba, though this apprehension has apparently not been shared at Tegucigalpa or by the Salvadorean Government, since no movement had occurred there, while the revolutionists were successful at Gracias and Choluteca. After the recapture of these towns and the scattering of the larger bands, any movement on the Atlantic coast seemed most unlikely. Accurate news of the situation there has, however, been impossible to obtain here, though, so far as I have heard, only one movement has taken place, this being at a small town called Porvenir, where it was soon suppressed by the Government.
I have, etc.,