815.00/2322
The Minister in Honduras (Morales) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 16.]
Sir: With reference to the Department’s telegram No. 6, dated February 2, 1922, I have the honor to inform the Department of the arrival in Tegucigalpa of Lieut. Col. James K. Tracy, U.S.M.C., on February 26th.
Lieut. Col. Tracy left Managua on February 14th, via Chinandega, passing through the following frontier towns; Campazano, Somotillo, Ceiba Grande, Cinco Pinos, San Juan de Limay, La Grecia, Potosi, Ocotal, Somoto Grande, Santa Maria, Ococona, Coyolar and Güinope.
Lieut. Col. Tracy’s principal object in coming to Tegucigalpa was for the purpose of securing information from the Legation concerning the activities of the Honduran political refugees on the border.
[Page 564]I presented Lieut. Col. Tracy to President Rafael López Gutiérrez, the Minister of War, Carlos Lagos, and the other members of the President’s Cabinet.
The President was very pleased with the visit of Lieut. Col. Tracy to Tegucigalpa and furnished him with the necessary information concerning the border, and also greatly facilitated his return trip to Nicaragua, by placing at his disposal an automobile to Choluteca and mules from there to San Marcos.
Lieut. Col. Tracy’s stay in Tegucigalpa was very short, owing to information received by President Gutiérrez that Dr. Rufino Solis, Honduran political refugee, who escaped from Managua, was again at the head of 100 armed men causing trouble on the frontier near San Marcos. In view of the above information, Lieut. Col. Tracy left Tegucigalpa on March 1st, for San Marcos via Choluteca.
He was not inclined to make a statement at this time, desiring to complete the investigation of the entire frontier before making a report.
I have [etc.]