File No. No. 763.72112Aml/12
The Minister in Honduras ( Ewing) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 1, 1918, 3.10 a.m.]
Department’s December 29, 5 p.m., December 18, 6 p.m.; Legation’s December 21, 2 p.m., December 22, 5 p.m., December 28, 11 a.m., December 29, 5 a.m. [p.m.]; all bear upon Amapala situation together with messages for Rosseter, San Francisco, and Valentine, New York City, sent through Department.2
[Page 376]Port Amapala not closed but Pacific Mail, to comply with enemy trading law, suspended service Amapala until establishment new agency other than blacklisted German firms. Representative Pacific Mail canceled Kohncke agency 25th, notifying President and public. This primarily precipitated action of this Government toward creation of agency other than German. Drechsel1 using strong influence with Government to defeat plan. He positively refuses to sell lighters, threatening their destruction preferentially. Southern [other] influences also at work tending to defeat efforts toward effective solution Amapala situation. Representatives new company informed by President today of intended cooperation Honduranean Government, but fear stronger Germanic influence if not offset by strong support of United States. Belt.2