816.01/135: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Costa Rica (Eberhardt)
14. The Costa Rican Chargé d’Affaires19 called at the Department yesterday and exhibited a confidential letter he had just received from the Costa Rican Minister for Foreign Affairs, instructing him to inquire discreetly whether the State Department would be disposed to recognize Garay in Salvador, who was referred to in the letter as being an “obscure military man.” The letter went on to say that a prominent Salvadoran was in San José discussing with the Costa Rican Government the political situation in Salvador. The Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed the view that it would be advisable for some leading Salvadoran to be elected designate and succeed to the presidency who would be satisfactory to the civilian and military elements of the country. Such a person, he said, should have had no connection with the recent revolution and also should not be any one of the three present designates. The Minister instructed the Chargé d’Affaires to ascertain whether the Department would be disposed to state that if such a person were elected designate and assumed the presidency of Salvador, it would recognize him.
[Page 591]The Chargé d’Affaires was informed that this Government is not interested in the question of individuals who might be elected designate in Salvador. Our sole interest in the situation is that someone may legally assume the presidency who can be recognized by the other Central American states and by the United States consistently with the obligations of the Treaty. As regards Garay, the present first designate, the Chargé d’Affaires was advised that we had no information to indicate that he would be barred from recognition under the Treaty in case Martínez should resign the presidency.
The attention of the Chargé d’Affaires was also invited to Article 14 of the General Treaty of Peace and Amity of 1923 which provides that the Central American Governments agree not to intervene, under any circumstances, directly or indirectly, in the internal political affairs of any other Central American state. It was added that our information from Salvador indicated that Martínez would probably shortly resign the presidency outright, whereupon Garay, as first designate, would assume the presidency.
Repeat to the other missions in Central America for their confidential information.
- Guillermo E. Gonzáles.↩