715.1715/323: Telegram
The Chargé in Nicaragua (Hanna) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:52 p.m.]
229. Department’s urgent telegram 131, September 19, 6 p.m. I have just seen President Moncada. With reference to the first paragraph of your telegram, I only told the President that instructions have been given the American Minister in Tegucigalpa to make representations to the Government of Honduras in behalf of a speedy and friendly termination of the conflict. I expressed textually the message contained in the second paragraph. I added as a personal observation that I have noted with great satisfaction that the newspapers of Managua are not discussing the matter and that it is to be hoped that they will remain ignorant of what is taking place because otherwise the efforts of the Department would be made more difficult and might be unsuccessful. I have also personally communicated the foregoing to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The President responded favorably to your designs. He will continue to deal with this matter in a spirit of patience and moderation and said he would do everything possible to prevent undesirable interference by the local newspapers. Concerning the settlement of the boundary dispute, he said that it is his desire to entrust the demarcation of the boundary established by the award of the King of Spain to an arbitral commission with an American arbiter as soon as banditry along the border is sufficiently under control to permit the commission to work in safety. He said the principal question for the decision of the commission will be the location of portions of the boundary not clearly defined in the award. He added that he hopes it may be possible by mutual small concessions of territory to substitute a natural boundary along a river for a portion of the ill-defined boundary as fixed in the award.
Repeated to Tegucigalpa.