810.154/767
The Minister in Guatemala (Hanna) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 2.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt today of the Department’s instruction No. 165 of March 16, 1935, advising me that my airmail despatch of December 20, 1934, concerning Guatemalan participation in the construction of the Inter-American Highway was referred to the Secretary of Agriculture on January 23, 1935, with a request for his advice regarding the response which should be made to the suggestions contained in my despatch; and transmitting for my information a copy of the reply of the Secretary of Agriculture dated February 27, 1935.20
I have carefully noted that the letter of the Secretary of Agriculture indicates that the plan which the Government of Guatemala appears to have for cooperating with the Government of the United States in the construction of the Highway “is in harmony with what is considered here feasible and practicable”, expresses the hope that “general policies can be established within the reasonably near future that will permit the undertaking of cooperative projects with the Guatemalan Government”, mentions the harmony of views among the countries concerned “as to the desirability of early and vigorous action in the fulfillment of this project”, and intimates that assurances might be given to the Government of Guatemala that “definite proposals will be forthcoming in the near future”.
In the light of the information contained in my air mail despatch No. 538 of February 20, 1935,20 I doubt the advisability of my initiating any further exchanges with this Government on this subject until I can give it some fairly specific advice concerning the cooperation [Page 250] on the part of this Government which is desired by the Bureau of Public Roads to the end that work may be begun on the project in Guatemala. I had hoped that this might be done in advance of reopening the office of the Bureau of Public Roads in Panama. However, I will not fail to bear in mind the suggestions of the Secretary of Agriculture and will find them useful in the event that the matter is raised by the authorities here.
Respectfully yours,