715.1715/337: Telegram
The Chargé in Nicaragua (Hanna) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:30 p.m.]
259. My 253, October 17, noon.53 The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs called at the Legation late yesterday and showed me a telegram received by President Moncada from Dr. Cordero Reyes, dated Tegucigalpa, October 30th, reporting a conversation he had with the President of Honduras. The pertinent portions of the telegram in translation follow:
“He reiterated assurances of his cooperation but at the same time stated that said cooperation would be decisive only in case it could be announced that the mixed commission to fix the boundary will begin work immediately in order thus to overcome obstacles of his adversaries. I spoke on this point in accordance with your instructions and added that to facilitate the formation of the commission, the pacification of Segovia is indispensable not only for material security but also because you need Liberal support in order to proceed with the frontier matter and this is possible only on the basis of prior cooperation of Honduranean Government in exterminating the bandits.”
The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs also showed me President Moncada’s brief reply to the foregoing, dated October 31st, which reads in translation as follows:
“Please state to the President of Honduras that my Government will not settle the boundary matter under conditions [sic] and that the moment has arrived for definitely settling these things for the good of both republics.”
I saw President Moncada this morning and discussed with him the situation created by this exchange of telegrams and pointed out the dangerous consequences they might have on the continuance of the negotiations.
The following telegram was then drafted and will be sent to the Nicaraguan representative in Honduras today:
“Please communicate that the Government of Nicaragua proposes to the Government of Honduras as an effective means to terminate the frontier difficulties, as it has heretofore proposed, the formation of a commission made up of a representative of each country and another as president appointed by the Department of State. The last telegram sent yesterday by the President is not opposed in any manner to the appointment of the commission, which commission will be organized immediately and will begin to function insofar as circumstances permit. The President understands that the preliminary arrangements for the commission and the appointment of the representative of the Department of State will require two months more or less and that meanwhile, with the effective cooperation of both countries, banditry will cease.”
[Paraphrase.] If the Government of Honduras accepts the foregoing proposal, the chances for continuing the negotiations will be greatly improved … [End paraphrase.]
Repeated to Tegucigalpa.
- Not printed.↩