817.00 Bandit Activities/474: Telegram
The Chargé in Honduras (Higgins) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:35 p.m.]
63. Legation’s telegram number 61 July 14, 7 p.m. The President of Honduras has handed me a memorandum indicating full compliance with all five points stated in Legation’s telegram number 58 July 10, 9 a.m. except that
- 1st.
- He can only furnish 25 men for General Plata’s expeditionary force, explaining that as the budget provides no funds for such a force, he is creating it by merger of five small garrisons from interior;
- 2nd.
- The commandant of Danlí cannot be placed under Plata’s orders because the law provides that expeditionary chiefs are subordinate to commandants of jurisdictions in which they operate.
I requested that General Plata proceed to border immediately and get in touch with the Guardia commands there with a view to interchange of information and full cooperation. The President agreed.
As the measures to be taken by the Honduran Government fall only slightly short of what was proposed, and what I regard as the maximum reasonably to be expected under present conditions, I suggest that the Department authorize me to express to President Mejía its satisfaction at his prompt and favorable action.
Legation at Managua informed of General Plata’s assignment by telegraph and other measures by letter carried by trustworthy messenger to San Lorenzo and thence by Pan American Airways.