715.1715/396: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua (Hanna) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:35 p.m.]
157. Department’s 127, November 8, 5 p.m.98a The Minister for Foreign Affairs told me late yesterday that President Moncada desires to have some definite assurance of effective cooperation by the Government of Honduras in the suppression of banditry before signing the boundary protocol and had asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss the matter with me in an effort to find some acceptable way to attain that desire. The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that President Moncada thinks this a favorable opportunity to ask for such assurance which if given would help to meet opposition of the Conservative Party which has consistently opposed the Award of the King of Spain for a long period of years as well as the opposition of many Liberals who think Nicaragua is conceding too much and Honduras nothing. The Minister for Foreign Affairs stoutly maintained that his Government is not trying to evade signing the protocol and would sign as soon as the assurance mentioned was granted.
I told the Minister for Foreign Affairs that while I appreciated President Moncada’s desire I would not like to submit to either my Government or the Government of Honduras a proposal to attain the desired assurance if acceptance thereof would be a condition precedent to signing the protocol. I told him a proposal made in such fashion could certainly be misinterpreted and would place this Government in an equivocal position in spite of protestations that it is not trying to evade signing the protocol. He said he thought President Moncada would insist upon having the assurance and I told him that I believe he could count upon the Department’s assistance if the matter is presented to the Government of Honduras in an appropriate manner and at the proper time, but that I did not believe my Government would care to give its cooperation if this Government should now attach some condition to signing the protocol or even delay signing pending consideration of this new point. [Page 375] I pointed out that the presence of the Boundary Commission on the frontier would place upon the Government of Honduras an equal share of responsibility for the adequate protection of the Commission and thus automatically bring about the desired cooperation and I reminded him that President Moncada had told me some months ago that he viewed the matter in that sense. I also pointed out that the probability of getting the desired assurance would be improved by signing the protocol. The Minister for Foreign Affairs said he would present my views to President Moncada and advise me further.
I deem President Moncada’s desire reasonable if properly presented. The Boundary Commission must be given protection and the presence of an American on the Commission would appear to justify our arranging for Honduras to give an appropriate share of such protection but there should be no delay in signing the protocol pending that arrangement. The political difficulties mentioned by President Moncada exist and merit consideration. I may have some success in minimizing opposition by the Conservative Party but that party is now seeking issues on which to attack the Liberal administration. Please instruct.
Repeated to Tegucigalpa.
- Not printed.↩