814.001 Ubico, Jorge/61
President Ubico to President Roosevelt35
Great and Good Friend: I have the honor to advise you that, in view of the movement of public opinion shown before the Legislative Assembly during its last regular sessions, to the effect that I should continue the presidential term for which I was elected, beyond March 15, 1937, that August Body deemed fit to refer the matter to the Constitutional Assembly which was to meet to amend certain articles of the constitution.
Upon inaugurating the sessions of the said Constitutional Assembly, I deemed it opportune to manifest in the opening message my firm purpose that, before it considered the matter of my remaining in power, it should consult the opinion of the country, without excluding the resident foreigners, and without distinction of sex. The plebiscite was held during the days of June 22, 23 and 24, last, with the result of 884,703 votes in the affirmative and 1,227 in the negative. These figures show that the population of the country, almost unanimously, voted favorably on the petition submitted upon the initiative of the Municipalities of the Republic.
The Constitutional Assembly, on the basis of the result of the plebiscite, and after the careful examination of present conditions in the country, decreed, on the 11th of this month of July, that I should continue in the Presidency of the Republic until March 15, 1943.
In communicating the foregoing to Your Excellency it gives me pleasure to express to you that, in the discharge of my high office, [Page 637] I shall constantly strive for the maintenance and strengthening of the bonds of cordial friendship which happily exist between our two countries, and to that end I cherish the hope that I can depend upon the valued cooperation of Your Excellency. 1 beg you to accept the sincere good wishes that I formulate for the increasing prosperity of your nation, our friend, and for the personal happiness of Your Excellency.
I have [etc.]
A. Skinner Klée
- Transmitted to the Secretary of State by the Guatemalan Minister for Foreign Affairs under covering letter dated August 26, 1935; received September 17.↩