File No. 422.11G93/828.
The Secretary of State to Minister Hartman.
Washington, December 22, 1915—5 p.m.
Your December 10, 4 p.m. The Department will await receipt of copy of your memorandum of November 22 and of President Plaza’s reply of December 7 [2] before giving further instructions in the matter. Meanwhile endeavor to secure resumption of daily payments for the service of the bonds.
The Department is advised that bondholders are becoming impatient at continued failure of Ecuadorian Government to make any remittances for interest and sinking fund of railway bonds. There appears to be no valid reason why daily payments should not be resumed. The Department sees only possible explanation in the desire of the Ecuadorian Government to bring about disassociation of bondholders and railway interests in the hope that this will result in foreclosure proceedings and the elimination of present railway administration. This Government will not countenance any injustice to legitimate American interests and will insist that the Government of Eucador comply with contractual obligations.