713.1311/246: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua ( Lane ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:17 p.m.]
52. My 51, February 16, noon.13 The President stated to me that despite his having been requested by Ubico to extend the invitations to the Conference and his having suggested that he be given leeway as to the date, Ubico is now apparently making the question of the date a pretext for the exclusion of Costa Rica from the Conference. He said that if Costa Rica does not attend the Conference he feels that El Salvador will likewise not attend. He requested me to make a suggestion to the Department as coming from him that President Ubico be urged by us to reconsider his attitude so as to avoid certain failure of the Conference. He said that the fact that three of the five countries are in favor of March 15 should be a determining factor. He added that he hopes we will say to Ubico that we greatly appreciate the compliment of his wishing to open the Conference on Washington’s birthday, but that we do not wish the Conference to fail because of the desire to fix February 22 as the date.
When I reminded him of the Department’s policy (as expressed in the Department’s circular telegram of January 31, 7 p.m.) he said that he understood our point of view; on the other hand he recalled that the initial step regarding a Conference was suggested by the Department [Page 435] and that he had gladly accepted such suggestion. He expressed the hope therefore that the Department would see its way clear to endeavor to save the project from failure at the outset.
- Not printed.↩