714.1515/176d: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Guatemala (Thurston)20
Kindly present a memorandum in the following sense to the President of the country to which you are accredited. As it is now too late to conclude a topographic survey before the end of the present dry season, the Department of State has requested the American Geographical Society to superintend the economic survey which is to be made in order to supply as much as possible of the information requested in the note of the Secretary of State addressed to the Chiefs of the Honduran-Guatemalan Boundary Missions at Washington, on December 3, 1918.
The American Geographical Society has nominated Major Percy H. Ashmead as executive in charge of the economic survey. He, Sidney Blake, assistant to Dr. Pittier, an engineer, and Albert Yates, Disbursing Clerk, sail from New York for Puerto Barrios aboard the Saramacca April 29, 9 a.m. The following named scientists, the first four of whom have been loaned, and the other two assigned, by the United States Department of Agriculture to collaborate in this work, complete the expedition. They sailed on the Preston from New Orleans April 26: Dr. Henri Pittier and assistant Dr. G. B. Gilbert, economic botanist; Dr. C. F. Marbut and assistant Dr. H. H. Bennett, representing Soils; Dr. W. H. [H. N.] Whitford and assistant Dr. L. R. Stadtmiller, representing Forestry.
Guatemala and Honduras very kindly offered to have engineers accompany the scientists of the expedition; but as the economic survey will not involve instrumental surveys it is thought to be preferable to have the engineers of the interested countries accessible in order to give information which may be desired by Major Ashmead, but not to accompany the scientists during their examinations. The time and funds of the expedition being limited, it is thought that this course will facilitate the conclusion of their labors.
[Page 106]Guatemala has graciously offered to furnish promptly, and when needed, to the members of this expedition, whatever cooks, servants, laborers, and animals may be required, and to provide them with utensils, tools, shelter, etc., and with their subsistence, travel, and other expenses, free of all payment therefor from the funds now at the disposal of the Geographic Society. It is assumed that Honduras will desire to act as Guatemala has done in this regard. The shortage of time, however, precludes detailed arrangements and makes it necessary for the scientists to begin their labors near the section in which are situated the most important interests likely to be affected by the decision of the boundary matter. In these circumstances it has been deemed to be expedient to commence work near Amates on account of its favorable rail and water transportation facilities and to proceed thence towards the Caribbean, rather than to inaugurate the survey by first paying official visits at the capitals of the interested countries. It is hoped that the local authorities of both Honduras and Guatemala will place themselves in touch with the members of this scientific party, and provide them with the help required.
The Department of State acknowledges the repeated gracious assurances of the Chiefs of the Boundary Mission and of the country to which you are accredited, that every facility will be placed at the disposal of the members of the scientific party, (each of whom carries a passport and will soon be provided with a letter of authority from the American Geographical Society), which happily eliminates all probability of delays or other interruptions.
- The same to the Minister in Honduras; through an error, the transmission was delayed until May 7 (File No. 714.1515/178).↩