File No. 817.00/2691.
Minister Hale to the
Secretary of State.
No. 53.]
American Legation,
San José,
January 8, 1915.
Sir: Referring to my No. 52 of December 31, I
have the honor to enclose copy and translation of the reply of the
Foreign Minister to my note of December 30.
The Foreign Minister’s note, it will be observed, gives the date of mine
to him as January 4. That is a mistake for December 30. The Minister
probably did not return to his office, after the holidays, until Monday,
January 4.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Minister Hale.
Foreign Office,
San José,
January 5, 1915.
Mr. Minister: I have had the honor to
receive your excellency’s note dated the 4th instant, in which,
replying to that of this Department of the 22d of December last,
your excellency was pleased to inform me of having communicated in
extract to your Government what was set forth by me in the note
cited, and at the same time to inform me that the Department of
State in Washington considers as terminated the friendly endeavors
in regard to the matter treated of between your excellency and this
Department, endeavors which, according to what is set forth by your
Government, had for their sole motive sentiments in favor of the
welfare and tranquillity of the Central American countries; but as
your excellency, before setting forth what was determined by your
Government, treats of rectifying the interpretation given by me to
your communication of the 21st of December last, may I be permitted,
Mr. Minister, respectfully to state that that interpretation was not
arbitrary on my part but is derived from the general tone of the
note as well as from the Word “request” employed by your excellency,
the Castilian translation of which, in any of its forms, is that of
to ask (pedir) or beg (rogar) one to give or do
[Page 265]
something; and as to ask (pedir) means
to beg (rogar) or demand (demandar) in the sense already stated, and
to beg (rogar) or demand (demandar) have the same explicative value
as the verb to ask (pedir), it is evident from this analysis that
the interpretation given by me of the word “request” conforms in
every respect with the definitions given it by the Diccionario de la
Lengua Castellana, on which I have founded my reply to your
excellency’s note.
Apart from this lack of agreement between your excellency and the
undersigned about the interpretation of the note of December 21, it
is gratifying to me to say again to your excellency that my
Government always views with genuine satisfaction the friendly
spirit which animates the Government of your excellency in all that
relates to the tranquillity and well-being of the Central American
family.
I avail [etc.]
