Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 7, 1915

File No. 816.032/14.

Minister Long to the Secretary of State.

No. 30.]

American Legation,
San Salvador, February 23, 1915.

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of the Annual Message which the President of Salvador delivered at the opening of Congress on February 15. The attention of the Department is respectfully called to that part of the message which deals with foreign relations and particularly the protest of Salvador to the Nicaraguan canal convention.

I have [etc.]

Boaz W. Long.

[Inclosure—Translation—Extract.]

[Untitled]

The Executive being jealous for all that intimately affects the important interests of the nation, and in view of the desire of the United States of America to establish a naval station in the Gulf of Fonseca, instructions were given to the Minister of Salvador in Washington to present a protest to the American Department of State, and this was done¹ under date of October 21, 1913, and was answered² by the Secretary of State, Mr. Bryan, on February 18, 1914, in terms which will be furnished you by the appropriate office.

The reply made to this note by our Minister in Washington, Dr. Francisco Dueñas, was limited to the refutation in moderate and prudent terms of the allegations of the American note, and the clearer exposition of the justice of our cause.³

Animated by the spirit of Central American loyalty, and owing to the fact that the Nicaraguan treaty is now pending ratification by the American Senate, in which treaty a stipulation is made for an American protectorate over our sister Republic, instructions were sent to our diplomatic representative in Washington, Dr. Carlos A. Meza, to make a new protest after consultation with the diplomatic representative of Costa Rica. This was done on July 8, 1914, in a note to the American Department of State,⁴ which will be reported to you by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

The reply⁵ of the American Government, because of its conciliatory tone, and the sense and scope which good diplomacy must give to the substantial recognition of our right to forbid any infringement of Central American law and order to our detriment, deserves to be given to you in full, as follows:

[Quotes the Department’s note of July 16, 1914.⁴]

Our Legation wishing to conclude an understanding in which unequivocal form should be given to the recognition of our right to maintain inviolate the autonomy of Central America, another note of explanation was written, July 22 [21], 1914 which deserves reproduction here because of the importance of the question and the invulnerability of the position assumed by Salvador. It is as follows:

[Quotes Mr. Meza’s note of July 21, 1914.]⁶

1. For. Rel. 1913, p. 1027.
2. For. Rel. 1914, p. 954.
3. Id. 956.
4. Id. 960.
5. Id. 961.
4. Id. 960.
6. Id. 962.