714.1515/1303

The Secretary of the Special Boundary Tribunal, Guatemala-Honduras (Cohen), to the Secretary of State

Sir: Your letter of July 27, 1932,26 enclosing a letter dated July 25, from the War Department, is hereby acknowledged with sincere appreciation. In connection with the letter of General Douglas Mac-Arthur, Chief of Staff, on behalf of the Secretary of War, I wish to [Page 377] request that you kindly advise the War Department, as soon as possible, of the Tribunal’s acceptance of the conditions set forth for the performance by the Army Air Corps of the aerial survey contemplated. Those conditions are that the Air Corps be reimbursed for the cost of making the photographs, such cost to be confined to the actual cost of gasoline, oil, film, paper, chemicals, the labor performed in developing the photographic negatives and the printing of copies of photographs, and the per diem expenses of the personnel as authorized by law, together with such incidental expenses as care and minor repairs to airplane and transportation of personnel to and from project. I understand this acceptance is necessary before final orders to proceed with the work can be issued.

Additional information concerning the personnel of the Army Air Corps to be detailed to the aerial surveying unit, as to the equipment at their disposal, and with regard to the approximate dates of their arrival in Guatemala and in Honduras, would be extremely useful in order to secure the necessary facilities from the Governments of the above-mentioned Republics.

The invaluable cooperation of the Department of State in arranging for the generous assistance of various services under the War, Interior, and Commerce Departments, and in securing the authorization for army personnel and airplane with aerial photographic equipment to fly over the Central American nations lying between France Field, Colon, Panama, and the territory to be surveyed, is greatly appreciated by the Tribunal.

I avail myself [etc.]

B. Cohen
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