Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1912

File No. 822.124/189.

The American Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State.

No. 56.]

American Legation,
Quito, February 6, 1912.

Sir: The first occasion on which the present Government of Ecuador seriously discussed the sanitation of Guayaquil with this Legation, was about two weeks ago when I had been to see the Minister for Foreign Affairs about another matter.

At this interview Dr. Tobar complained very strongly about the action of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, an English line, in transporting revolutionary soldiers from Esmeraldas and Manabí to Guayaquil during the recent revolution. He went on to say that he desired very much to see an American line of steamers between Guayaquil and Panamá, and that the Ecuadorian Government would assist in every way possible the establishment of such a line.

I replied that I was much interested in his excellency’s idea, and that possibly after the opening of the Panama Canal, some arrangement could be made by which American steamships would extend their voyages down the west coast of South America, but I pointed out that one great objection to the establishment of an American steamship line between Panama and Guayaquil was the extremely unsanitary condition of the latter city.

Another factor which has impressed the present Government with the necessity of taking some action in regard to sanitating Guayaquil, has been the large number of deaths in the Constitutional Army from yellow fever during the recent campaign.

The Coignet project for the construction of permanent public works having been approved by the Ecuadorian Congress, I suggested to Dr. Tobar that in order not [to] conflict with this contract a great deal could be done toward the sanitation of Guayaquil by the enforcement of suitable sanitary regulations in that city, and that Colonel Gorgas was the logical man to take charge of this work.

The result of these conversations was the receipt of note No. 167 dated February 5, 1912, from the Ecuadorian Foreign Office, copy and translation of which is enclosed herewith. From this note I prepared a memorandum which Dr. Tobar signed, the original of which is enclosed for the information of the Department.

I have [etc.]

Rutherfurd Bingham.

[Inclosure 1.—Translation.]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Minister.

No. 167.]

Ministry for Foreign Relations,
Quito, February 5, 1912.

Mr. Minister: The bad sanitary state of Guayaquil, made the more noticeable by the inroads of yellow fever among the troops from the interior, crowded together on account of the recent unfortunate civil war, has forced upon the attention of the Government the imperative necessity of sanitating the principal port of the Republic. The above-mentioned “fever of the Antilles” has disappeared now even from the Antilles, thanks to the scientific methods used by American doctors and engineers, who discovered and destroyed the stegomya fasciata, the vehicle of transmission of the terrible disease; eliminated from Rio Janeiro, Panama, and other places previously the victims of this deadly disease, to-day our beautiful port alone continues to suffer.

In confidential conferences with your excellency and with the Secretary of Legation, we have talked about the manner in which it would be possible to save Guayaquil from the scourge, and to put into practice the ideas exchanged between us, I request your excellency to obtain from your illustrious Government instructions to negotiate a convention with the Government of Ecuador in order to assure the above-mentioned patriotic and philanthropic end to the highest degree. I also request your excellency, in order to gain time, to cable this to the illustrious Chief of your Chancellery.

I renew [etc.]

C. R. Tobar.

[Inclosure 2.]

Memorandum of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Referring to my note No. 167. The Government of Ecuador desires to negotiate a convention giving the U. S. the right to make whatever municipal and sanitary regulations may be necessary for stamping out yellow fever and bubonic plague in the port of Guayaquil. It is understood that this convention does not refer to and does not consider any permanent public works, the construction of which may be postponed to a later date and provided for in a manner most agreeable to the Government of Ecuador.

Quito, February 5, 1912.

C. R. Tobar.