816.01/145
The Minister in El Salvador (Curtis), Temporarily in the United States, to the Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs (Wilson)
Telegram No. 73 of April 4, 4 p.m., from the Legation in San Salvador reports the second or third declaration made by officials of the Martínez regime to the effect that I promised that that regime would be recognized if certain steps were taken. As there appears to be no contradiction of these statements on file in the Department the following statement may be of some interest.
On the morning of December 3, 1931 I was first informed when I telephoned the Artillery Barracks at El Zapote that the revolutionists intended to make General José María Perralta Lagos president, but when I arrived at those barracks I was informed that it was intended to place Vice President (General) Martínez in the Presidency. (Accordingly, the statement contained in the telegram of April 4 is inexact.) Upon reaching the Infantry Barracks I was informed that it was the intention of that regiment to place General Perralta Lagos in the Presidency and I remarked that this was not the intention of the Artillery officers and that it would be wiser to adhere to constitutional forms as the assumption of the Presidency by General Perralta Lagos could not possibly be recognized; the matter of arranging an armistice was of the utmost urgency and the subject of the Presidency was dropped after I had made that one statement.
After President Araujo had left the country and the revolutionists were in complete control, there was great nervousness throughout the city because of the continued existence of the Military Directorate, composed chiefly of the very young officers who had led the revolution, as it was feared that General Martínez was only a figurehead and that the Government nominally headed by him was or would be dominated by the Military Directorate. In order to restore quiet as speedily as possible, I stated in one interview with General Martínez, in repeated interviews with his Subsecretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Avila), in one interview with Dr. Araujo, the newly appointed Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and in several interviews with different members of the Military Directorate, that the purpose of the latter organization had been accomplished and that it should now disband for the good of the country; that nobody felt sure whether the country was being governed by General Martínez or by the Military Directorate; and that, of course, recognition by foreign powers was out of the question so long as that doubt existed. On practically every [Page 597] occasion I was asked whether recognition would be accorded if the Military Directorate was disbanded, and each time that I was asked this question I replied that I could not say whether recognition would be accorded as that matter was being considered in Washington, but that I could say that I was sure recognition would not be accorded until the Military Directorate had been disbanded; in later interviews I said frankly that I had recommended that recognition should not be granted in any case unless this had been done and that I felt sure that this purely negative recommendation made by me would be approved.