810.154/520
The Chargé in Guatemala (Lawton) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to invite the Department’s attention to the opportunity that will be presented by the forthcoming Central American Conference,2 to be held probably in Guatemala City, for the various Republics of the Isthmus to reach an agreement on plans for constructing their portion of the Inter-American Highway. Among the items which the Guatemalan Foreign Minister has confidentially told me that he intends to bring up at the Conference is a proposal for cooperative action in highway development. He favors unifying the national highway programs for the sake of greater efficiency and in order to lay the foundations for one Central American system with connecting links between the states. It would seem that the Inter-American Highway should fall within the scope of any discussions on highways at the Conference and that it should be specifically mentioned in any agreement that may be reached on the subject.
In this regard, I have had no instructions as to encouraging the interest of the Guatemalan Government in the Inter-American Highway project; nor am I acquainted with any new plans that the American Government may have made with respect to that enterprise. Under the circumstances I have not felt that I could bring up the subject in my conversations with the Foreign Minister; but I am of the opinion that he would be readily responsive to any suggestions for advancing this project at the Conference.
Respectfully yours,