810.154/891
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Honduras (Keena)
Sir: There is enclosed for your information a copy of a telegraphic instruction which was sent on March 26 to the Chargé d’Affaires in Guatemala,5a with reference to the possibility of this Government’s cooperating with the Government of Guatemala in the construction of a second bridge along the route of the Inter-American Highway through that country. Similar instructions have been sent to the Legations at Managua, Panamá,6 and San José. No similar instruction is being sent to you for the reason that it is now estimated that the bridge over the Choluteca River, to the cooperative construction of which this Government is already committed, will cost $229,131, which is a little more than one-fourth of the total amount available for such construction work in the five countries.
The latest estimates of the cost to the United States of all the bridges now planned are as follows:
| Chiriqui Bridge (Panamá) | $162,451 |
| Choluteca Bridge (Honduras) | 229,131 |
| Tamasulpa Bridge (Guatemala) | 86,297 |
| Ochomogo Bridge (Nicaragua) | 55,000 |
| $532,879 |
It is apparent, therefore, that, on the basis of the most recent estimates made, a greater sum of money will have been expended in Honduras, when the bridge over the Choluteca River has been completed, than the average amount remaining available for expenditure in each of the other countries.
Should the occasion arise you may wish to communicate the foregoing informally to the appropriate authorities of the Honduran Government.
Very truly yours,