File No. 817.00/2691.

Minister Hale to the Secretary of State.

No. 53.]

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.]

E. J. Hale.
[Inclosure—Translation.]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Minister Hale.

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.]

Manuel Castro Quesada.