Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1919, Volume I
714.1515/282
The Executive of the Guatemala-Honduras Economic Survey (Ashmead) to the Representative of the Department of State (Long)
[Received September 9.]
My Dear Mr. Long: Herewith is enclosed a revision of the summary of the report on the Guatemala-Honduras Economic Survey, …
. . . . . . .
Sincerely yours,
Summary of the Report on the Guatemala-Honduras Economic Survey
The Report of the Economic Survey of the territory in dispute between Guatemala and Honduras, which follows, describes topographical conditions in the area examined, based on existing maps, and upon field observations without instrumental surveys, and also [Page 108] includes statements concerning the extent and character of the interests of the countries in the region.
The Atlantic littoral now governed by Guatemala extends from the mouth of the Rio Sarstoon to that of the Rio Motagua, a distance of about 50 miles by direct line,—through this region flow the rivers Sarstoon, Dulce and Motagua.
Honduras governs from the mouth of the Rio Motagua to that of the Rio Segovia (or Wanks), a distance of about 380 miles by direct line,—through this region flow the rivers Chamelecon, Ulua, Colorado, Aguan (or Romano), Negro (or Sico), Patuca and Segovia.
The total area examined,—4,615 square miles,—is reported upon in detail under the captions, First District (a), Second District (b), Third District (c), Present Occupancy and Rule and General Description of the Territory, that portray the physical aspects of the territory, characteristics of the people and their abodes, as well as amplify the statements concerning productions in the area examined. This is followed by the reports of the Scientists on Plants, Soils and Forests written by the Heads of those Sections of the Expedition.
The first district (a) reaches from Cerro Brujo to Cerro Obscuro and includes an area of 75 square miles having about 375 inhabitants. It lies on both sides of a divide extending from Cerro Brujo over Cerro Monte Cristo, Gacho (or Bonete) and Cerro Pelon and from there to Cerro Tecomapa, from which it lies on both sides of the Quebrada Tecomapa (or Agua Caliente) and of the Quebrada La Brea to a point some two miles west of the peak named Cerro Obscuro by Guatemala.
Almost without exception Guatemala governs to the west of these peaks, whilst to the east Honduras governs.
The second district (b) reaches from Cerro Obscuro to Cerro Llano Grande near Copan, and includes an area of 540 square miles having about 5,400 inhabitants. It lies to the north of the Atlantic-Pacific divide that passes over Cerro Obscuro, Cerro del Mico (or San Isidro) and Mojon Pena Blanca, and north of the last named peak this district includes areas east and west of Cerro Bolillo, Cerro del Mono, Cerro San Jorge, Cerro Boneton, Cerro Tixiban, Cerro Sepulturas, and reaches to Cerro Llano Grande north-west of Copan. In the western area lie the towns of La Union (or Chanmagua), Tablon de Sulay and La Paz (or Monteros) now under Guatemalan jurisdiction, whilst in the eastern area are the towns of San Jorge, Copan and Santa Rita governed by Honduras.
The third district (c) embraces a much greater area,—4,000 square miles,—having about 18,000 people. It extends to the north and east of the other two districts, and lies both sides of Cerro Morola and the high peak named Cerro Azul that is north-east of the town [Page 109] of El Paraiso. This Cerro Azul is the most prominent peak in the Cordillera Espiritu Santo and the mountains of Omoa, the continuing range to the north-east toward the sea.
The greater part of the third district lies to the north of this mountain range and extends across the valley of the Rio Motagua and over the Cordilleras de las Minas and del Mico to Lago de Izabal, Golfete and Rio Dulce.
Close to the top of the divide of the Cordilleras Gallinero, Grita and Espiritu Santo,—in the very sparsely populated area described in the report,—are the villages of Paraiso, Tarros and Joconal governed by Honduras. Toward the north-west, down the side of the Cordillera toward the valley of the Rio Motagua but south thereof, are the villages of Quiche, Mixco and Las Quebradas governed by Guatemala. There are, however, isolated places occupied by Honduranians; a few Honduras soldiers are within ten or twelve miles ride of Los Amates at El Lancetillal near the Rodezno cattle ranches, Alsacia and Lorena.
Guatemala has a comandancia at Las Quebradas, the placer gold region of the Rio Bobos, and another at Cinchado on the south side of the Rio Motagua some 20 miles inland from its mouth. From Cinchado an outpost of Guatemala soldiers is stationed at Punto de Railes, 2½ miles south of the river, whilst Honduras has an outpost of soldiers ½ mile away on the Cuyamel Railroad at the Quebrada Jimerito. The Honduras map indicates a comandancia on the south side at the mouth of the Rio Motagua.
The Cuyamel Railroad of Honduras at the present time extends from Omoa at the coast and passes through the town of Cuyamel and over the Rio Tinto to the end of the track at Cacao near the Rio Nuevo, from which some embankment extends toward the Rio Chachagualillo [Chachahualilla]; between this last named river and the Rio Chiquito a survey has been made for a railroad line to pass over the mountains and down the south side of Macuelizo.
The Guatemala Northern section of the Ferrocarriles Internacionales de Centro America passes through this district and extends from Puerto Barrios to the Capital of Guatemala.
Bananas are the most important and remunerative product of the territory in dispute, the intensive culture of which is in the valleys of the Rio Motagua and its affluents near the sea, and of the Rio Cuyamel. Annual shipments amount to nearly 5,000,000 bunches, of which 4,500,000 bunches are shipped from Puerto Barrios. Other main products of the region studied are maize, tobacco, coffee, sugar cane and beans.
Small quantities of rubber,—hule,—are shipped from Puerto Barrios. Citrus and other tropical fruits grow, but are not shipped in large quantities.
[Page 110]Yellow pine, mahogany and cedar trees grow on the mountains, and there are indications of petroleum at the Quebrada Cristina in the Motagua valley near Virginia.
Conclusions
The map constructed from the two maps without hypsometric information officially received,—one from Guatemala and the other from Honduras,—gives a distinct picture of the territory studied. At this time it is not possible to say that all the land grants of each country in the region studied have been indicated on their maps, but it is of interest to note that the information of that character which is shown on their maps indicates comparatively little conflict or over-lapping of land grants, which are as follows:—
Region of Over-lapping Grants | Area or Length of These Overlapping Grants |
Rio Tinto on the Cuyamel Railroad, | Less than 2 square miles. |
Right of Way of the Cuyamel Railroad of Honduras between Rio Tinto and Rio Nuevo, | Constructed for approximately 8 miles in length on Guatemala land grants. |
Proposed extension of the Cuyamel Railroad of Honduras to Macuelizo, between Rio Nuevo and Rio Chiquito, | Projected for approximately 36 miles in length, 22 miles of which are on Guatemala land grants. |
Region of Lago Villa Hermosa, Rio Morja, Rio Jubuco and Rio Managua, | Approximately 108 square miles. |
Region from Cerro Llano Grande, and Co-pan to San Jorge and La Union (or Chaumagua), | Approximately 38 square miles. |
Region from Cerro Obscuro to Cerro Brujo, | No conflicting land grants are indicated on the map, but the area disputed is approximately 30 square miles. |
These conflicting land grants, therefore, amount to less than 178 square miles of land, and to from 30 to 46 miles of Railroad Right of Way in the total area of 4,615 square miles included in the studies of the Economic Survey.
In general all of the region examined is rich in soil and natural resources, but it is sparsely populated having, according to our conjecture, about five inhabitants per square mile, or a total of less than 24,000 people.
Banana shipments greatly exceed in tonnage and value all other exports. The product next in importance for export is tobacco, followed by cattle; this is so because all of the region of intensive and highly successful coffee cultivation lies outside the districts examined during the Economic Survey. Maize, coffee, sugar cane, beans and other vegetables as well as citrus and other tropical fruits, are successfully raised and doubtless their production might [Page 111] be readily increased from ten to twenty fold if transportation facilities were better and swifter.
The whole region studied needs railroads and good roads before it can reap the great benefit due its natural resources, consequently other than bananas, tobacco and cattle, practically no more than is sufficient for their own use and for barter is produced in the region examined.
While the survey was an economic one it embraced a study of the interests likely to be affected by the settlement of the boundary. It therefore seems appropriate to refer to the opinions of the inhabitants who occupy and cultivate adjacent lands, the clarification of the titles to which they earnestly seek.
After studies of the map and historical data relating to the region, and having also traveled on mule-back, by railroad, and by boats through the territory in dispute, and camped and lived among, and talked to the people of both countries, it is possible to say that a boundary line can be located in the region that will be acceptable to practically all the people who actually live and work in the region,—an industrious, law-abiding class of ranchmen, farmers, merchants and laborers,—all of whom desire the question of the boundary to be quickly settled and thereby to eliminate any probability of armed conflict over the question, and who, with but few exceptions, expressed with dignified calmness and candor their opinions in regard to the question of the boundary. The exceptions were persons who had been there but a short time and were not actual residents of the region.
After the successful termination of the present mediation, and a delineation of the boundary agreed upon has been indicated on the map, it seems advisable to establish the line on the ground from Cerro Brujo to the sea, to accomplish which, it is tentatively suggested that a Commission of Survey be appointed, composed of an equal number of Civil Engineers from each of the interested countries. In order to obviate delays as far as possible, and to judge and interpret the meaning of any instructions issued to the Commission of Survey by the Governments of the interested countries, and also to act upon and correct any misunderstandings concerning the manner of performing the work and the actual location of the boundary line at any point or points, it is also tentatively suggested that three Civil Engineers be appointed to constitute a Board of Arbitration with authority to decide definitely any question or questions concerning the above mentioned, or other matters on which the Commission of Survey disagrees. This Board of Arbitration might well be composed of one member appointed by the President of Guatemala, one member appointed by the President of Honduras, [Page 112] and a third member to be agreed upon by the Presidents of both countries, or in the event of their being unable to agree to a selection, the two Presidents might request the President, or Sovereign, of another country to nominate the third member of the Board of Arbitration. It would be advisable for the members of the Commission of Survey to remain always in, or near, the region of the field work during the time the surveys are progressing; also it would be advisable for the members of the Board of Arbitration to be frequently informed of the status of the work in the field. This Board should only be called upon to act when there is need to render decisions in matters as above stated. It seems also advisable that an agreement should be made between the two interested countries that a majority vote of the Board of Arbitration shall decide any question upon which it is called to act, and that such decision shall be final and shall be recognized and complied with by the Commission of Survey.
The actual length of the boundary line to be surveyed, of course, will not be known until the successful termination of this mediation. It is, however, safe to assume that the distance will be between 150 and 200 miles, and it seems advisable that the boundary line should be marked with permanent monuments, that the region should be topographically mapped accurately for a breadth of one mile on each side of the line, that general topography in less detail be mapped for an additional mile on each side of the line, and that at the same time this topographical work is being done the base line of the survey should be tied in to the main triangulation points that are indicated on the maps of the two countries.
It is estimated that this survey work, efficiently supervised and under normal conditions of weather and crops, may be completed during a period of six dry months, by ten survey corps particularly chosen for competency in this class of work, at a cost of from $160,000. to $180,000.
The above described method of marking the boundary is considered preferable, but an alternative method,—for the purpose of solely marking on the ground the boundary line without topographical surveys nor tieing the line to the triangulation points above mentioned, and thereby reducing expenditures,—would be to have a Commission of five Civil Engineers, composed of two commissioners appointed by the President of each of the interested countries, and a fifth member of the Commission agreed upon and appointed by the Presidents of these two countries, or in the event of their being unable to agree to a selection the two Presidents might request the President, or Sovereign, of another country to nominate the fifth [Page 113] member of the Commission. It would be advisable for the members of this Commission of Engineers to remain always in or near the region of the field work during the time the surveys are progressing.
It seems also advisable that an agreement should be made between the two interested countries that a majority vote of the Commission of Engineers shall decide any question upon which it has authority to act, and that such decision shall be final and shall be so recognized and complied with during the progress of the work.
It is estimated that work of this character, efficiently supervised and under normal conditions of weather and crops, may be completed during a period of from three to four dry months by ten survey corps particularly chosen for competency in this class of work, at a cost of from $80,000. to $100,000.