File No. 714.1515/38

The Minister of Guatemala to the Secretary of State

Excellency: Rerfering to your excellency’s esteemed note of the 16th of November last and to my note of the 19th of the same month, I have the honor to enclose to your excellency a copy of the protocol which was recently signed by the representatives of the Governments of Guatemala and Honduras in Tegucigalpa, about the matter of the boundary dispute between the two countries.

As the National Assembly of Honduras will open its ordinary session in January and the one of Guatemala in March, if your excellency would be good enough to recommend, as requested by me in my note, that the protocol be made effective as soon as possible, an important step will undoubtedly have been carried out to maintain the friendly relations between the two countries.

Thanking your excellency beforehand for anything that your excellency may kindly do in the matter, I avail [etc.]

Joaquín Mendéz
[Inclosure—Translation]

preliminary arrangement

The Governments of Guatemala and Honduras, desirous of making an end of the boundary disputes between their respective countries by means of an equitable and just arrangement, satisfactory to both parties and such as will remove any ground of divergence that might disturb the fraternal relations which must exist between them, have authorized their representatives, to wit:

[Page 785]

The Government of Guatemala, the most excellent Señor don Víctor Sánchez Ocaña, its present Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary near the Government of this Republic, and the Government of Honduras, Señor Doctor don Mariano Vásquez, its present Minister of Foreign Relations, to sign the following arrangement:

I

The Governments of Guatemala and Honduras, with the above-indicated purpose will sign a diplomatic agreement subject to ratification by their respective Legislatures, in which, on the basis of authentic documents establishing the territorial rights of the one and the other party, the proven antecedents, the system of compensations and as far as practicable the adoption of natural boundaries, a final end be made of the boundary dispute and as a consequence the marking of the dividing line between the two countries be provided, the stones or monuments that are to mark the dividing line being erected after approval of the treaty by a joint commission of two engineers appointed by each party.

II

In order to bring about the convention and settlement that are sought, in concluding the treaty, hearings may be given to the commission of engineers of each one of the contracting Governments composed of the chief engineer of each commission, the assistant engineer and a counsel, it being understood that the aforesaid persons will fill every requirement of technical and historical competence, honorability and impartiality.

III

The meeting of the Plenipotentiaries who will draw up the contemplated treaty will take place in this capital before the last day of December next or on such other date as may be agreed upon by the two Governments of Guatemala and Honduras.

IV

Pending the signature and ratification of the contemplated treaty, the Governments of Guatemala and Honduras will endeavor to shun any cause of dispute between them on account of their territorial bounds and will maintain through their lower authorities the respect of their respective jurisdiction.

V

It is understood that for any reason whatsoever the contemplated treaty should not be concluded or ratified by the respective Legislatures of Guatemala and Honduras, the Boundary Convention signed by the two Republics on August 1, 1914, will continue in full force and effect.

In faith whereof they sign the present preliminary arrangement in duplicate at Tegucigalpa, this 20th day of September 1917 and affix their respective seals thereto.

  • Víctor Sánchez O.
  • Mariano Vasquez