813.00/990
The Minister in Guatemala (McMillin) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 14.]
Sir: With reference to your unnumbered instruction of June 25th in which you ask for information concerning the status of the treaties and conventions signed in Washington on the 20th day of December, 1907 by the five Central American States, and in which you ask whether the Government of Guatemala had taken any steps to denounce said treaties, I have the honor to inform you that this Legation is in receipt of a note from the Foreign Office which says, inter alia,
“Concerning the meaning of article 19 of the Treaty of Peace there were different ideas: some Central American Governments believed that the pact should cease to exist by the mere expiration of the ten years; others were of the opinion that the treaties and conventions signed in December 1907, should be considered to be in full force and effect for the reason that the special notice provided for by article 19 had not been given. The International Bureau considered it to be of the highest importance that the Treaty should be prolonged by a declaration with reference to its validity, or otherwise, that the countries should proceed to the negociation of a new treaty.
With reference to article 19 of the General Treaty of Peace, I am happy to inform your Excellency that my Government has given no notice of its intention to denounce it; and with reference to article 15 of the Treaty of Extradition, Guatemala has not expressed its desire to be no longer bound by said treaty.
Concerning the conferences to treat the question of the union of Central America, the Government of Guatemala accepted, in principle, the proposal of the Government of Salvador, and suggested to the latter the feasibility of authorizing the Central American [Page 176] International Bureau to formulate the program for said conferences together with the time and place of holding them.”
I have [etc.]