816.00/825: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in El Salvador (McCafferty)
8. Your 5, January 18, noon. You of course understand that this Government is not in any way urging or supporting any individual for election as First Designate. The Department’s only connection with qualifications of any individual elected First Designate, who may eventually succeed to the Presidency, is in the scrupulous carrying out of its policy when it announced that it would be guided by the principles of the Treaty of 1923 in connection with the recognition of future Governments in Central America.
The Department of course does not wish to be too technical in its consideration of the matter and thus unduly limit the field of those whom it can recognize. In this connection it may be stated that the Department does not consider that the position of Under Secretary falls within the prohibition of Clause 2 of Article II regarding “a Secretary of State”. The Department does not feel that the rank of Colonel indicates that such a person holds “some high military command” nor is the Department inclined to feel that the position of Under Secretary of War necessarily implies the holding of a high military command. In this connection the Department desires to have you cable as promptly as possible the exact functions of the Under Secretary of War.
Department also desires to be advised by you whether Colonel Menéndez was in any wise connected with the recent coup d’état or revolution or whether he is related through blood or marriage to one of the leaders as specified in Clause 1 of Article II of the Treaty.