715.1715/214: Telegram
The Minister in Salvador (Schuyler) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 31—11:10 a.m.]
41. Your telegram August 27, 2 p.m. was partly anticipated by my August 26, 10 p.m.2 Personally I do not believe that the President of Salvador is acting otherwise than honorably and I am convinced that he earnestly desires peace between Central American countries. He has given me copies of correspondence with the Presidents [Page 557] of Nicaragua and Honduras and offers to have photographs made for the Department of intercepted documents showing complicity of López, President, and Lagos, Minister of War, of Honduras in Araujo revolution in Salvador last year.3 He states that the Government in Honduras is striving in every way to get him into war with Nicaragua and believes Araujo is involved. He offers to take any steps desired to prove his good faith.
No matter who is responsible the relations between Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua are rapidly getting worse. In my opinion unless some steps are taken quickly there will be further serious trouble. The negotiations regarding the union are now in such a stage that they still further complicate political situation.
I suggested to the President to-day after a discussion lasting several hours the good results which might be brought about by conference of three Presidents and myself on board a United States vessel in the Gulf of Fonseca, making it quite plain that this was my own thought and that I did not know how the Department would view the idea. He jumped at it saying that Chamorro4 had suggested a meeting but that he could see no good results from meeting alone. He believes López would accept. My idea is that warship be sent here immediately after centennial September 15th and that President Meléndez5 himself invite the others to prove good faith at this time. There should be full and frank discussion of general political, economic and military questions and if possible a protocol signed guaranteeing peace and perhaps stipulating that in case of threatened hostilities they will ask the United States to interfere. I am sure such a conference between principals is the only way to avoid trouble. If you approve in principle and will authorize me to proceed with arrangements I shall be very glad to do so.
- Not printed.↩
- For papers relating to the Araujo revolution, see Foreign Relations, 1920, vol. iii, pp. 728 ff.↩
- Diego M. Chamorro, President of Nicaragua.↩
- Jorge Melendez, President of Salvador.↩