816.01/140
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs (Wilson) of a Conversation With the British Ambassador (Lindsay)
The British Ambassador came in to talk about Salvador. He referred to the conversation he had with Mr. White about ten days ago and said that he had cabled to his Government the views Mr. White expressed regarding the impossibility of recognizing Martínez in conformity with the provisions of the 1923 Treaty. The Ambassador said that three or four days ago the Secretary had asked him to come in and that the Secretary had told him of our policy of supporting the 1923 Treaty and that this had had a good effect in discouraging revolutions and promoting stability in Central America. The Ambassador said he had got the impression that the Secretary felt that if the British Government would hold off recognition of Martínez it would be helpful in working out stability in Central America. The Ambassador had cabled his interview with the Secretary to his Government, but had just now received word from London to the effect that the British Government had already replied to various Governments, such as the French and German, that it would extend recognition to Martínez whenever it became apparent that Martínez had consolidated his position and it seemed that he could continue to maintain himself in power. The Ambassador also mentioned that the British had signed a modus vivendi on commercial matters a short time ago with Salvador and that for this to go into effect it would require approval by the Salvadoran legislature. He also said that he believed there was a similar situation between the Irish Free State and Salvador.
The Ambassador said that the form of recognition would be merely that nothing had occurred to alter the friendly relations between the two countries and that the British Chargé d’Affaires would therefore carry on normal diplomatic relations with the Salvadoran Government. [Page 583] He said that he supposed this action by his Government would not interfere greatly with the working out of our policy in Central America. I said that our position remained the same and that the other Central American states were standing firm on their decision that they could not recognize in conformity with the Treaty. I said that we had recently been advised from Guatemala that Martínez had sent a special agent to confer with the President of Guatemala, and that the latter had replied that it was useless for Martínez to carry on all these negotiations, and that he should resign the presidency as soon as possible in order to clear up the present situation, which was causing a good deal of uneasiness in Central America. In view of this, and of the firm stand the other Central American states had taken, I said that we had felt that there was every reason to hope that shortly steps would be taken in Salvador to put the Government on a basis where recognition could be extended to it. The designates who had been elected by the Salvadoran Congress appeared to be eligible for recognition and the way was therefore clearly open for Martínez to step out and let steps be taken to put the Government on a proper basis. I said that it was obvious that if the British Government should grant recognition to Martínez it would have the effect of encouraging him to stay on in power and would, therefore, probably delay for some time the taking of the steps necessary so that the Government of Salvador could be recognized by the other Central American states and by ourselves. The Ambassador said that there was no doubt about this, but that his Government had apparently already stated its position to various other Governments and could not change its stand. I then asked him whether his Government was contemplating extending recognition immediately. He said that the matter was left in the hands of the British Chargé d’Affaires in Salvador. He had been instructed that in his discretion when the situation appeared that Martínez had stabilized his position and could maintain himself in power, he could then extend recognition. The Ambassador said that of course one of the elements which might affect the stability of the Martínez regime would be the lack of recognition by the other Central American states and by the United States. I said that as regards this it was perfectly clear, as I had already told him, that the other Central American states could not recognize Martínez because of their treaty obligations, and that our position was that Martínez could not be recognized under the Treaty.
The Ambassador also mentioned that he understood that the Norwegian Government had recently signed in Paris a modus vivendi with Salvador and that this of course constituted recognition.