714.44A15/119
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The British Ambassador called to see me this morning at his request. I discussed at some length with the Ambassador the questions involved in the communication made by the British Government to the Government of Guatemala indicating its willingness to arbitrate the controversy arising out of the Treaty of 1859. I explained to the Ambassador the difference in the position taken by Guatemala and the position, as I understood it, taken by the Government of Great Britain. I said that while this Government did not, of course, assume to act as an intermediary between the two Governments, nor attempt in any sense to interpret the position taken by the Guatemalan Government towards the Government of Great Britain, it nevertheless trusted that an agreement as to the terms of reference for the arbitration [Page 423] might be found by both Governments in a friendly spirit. I referred to the many instances occurring in recent months which evidenced the desire of Guatemala to maintain friendly relations with Great Britain, and I said that I trusted that the counterproposal as to the terms of reference which might now be made by Guatemala would receive favorable consideration by the Government of Great Britain.
The Ambassador reiterated to me that his Government was prepared and willing to arbitrate along the lines set forth in his personal letter to me of January 13 [12], but that Great Britain could not submit to arbitration its sovereignty over Belize, but only the question of whether Great Britain had complied with its treaty obligations, and if not, the determination of its liability therefor.