816.01 Caffery Mission/12: Telegram
The Minister in El Salvador (Curtis) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:23 p.m.]
128. From Caffery. Last night I had an informal conference with the youthful leaders of the revolution. I explained to them at length why we could not recognize Martínez. They then expressed a decided preference for Castaneda to succeed him. I explained the difficulties in his case (they are now discussing the names of other officers not [Page 211] debarred by the treaty as possible candidates). I received the impression that these young officers are sincerely interested in attempting to put an end to the corruption which has hitherto been characteristic of the government and determined to fight the communistic propaganda which has been spreading here during recent years. They emphasized that they put Martínez in the Presidency because it was the only constitutional course to follow. Their attitude was very friendly and they demonstrated an apparent desire to be conciliatory. I told them that the Department of State would be glad to recognize anyone not debarred by the treaty whom the Assembly might designate as First Designate to succeed Martínez. (They implied that it might be easier to persuade Martínez “to deposit power” in the hands of a newly elected First Designate than it would be to force him to resign). During the discussion they brought up tactfully the well known charges regarding the United States forcing its will on the smaller Latin American countries. I explained to them we had not the slightest desire of doing anything of the kind; “we are backing no candidates” (they are aware or conjecture that the various civilian political groups here have been urging me to back their respective candidates). I described in some detail the reasons for the policy of the Department of State in Latin America in general and especially in the present instance.
I have been endeavoring among the public in general to have the idea accepted that the only way out of the existing situation is to have the Assembly designate a new slate of designates (men not debarred by the treaty) and for Martínez then to step aside. I believe that the public are coming to see that there is no other way of solving the problem.
As I have stated before, Martínez’ assumption of the Presidency was exceedingly well received by the nation at large and was of course entirely in accord with the Salvadoran Constitution. There is consequently considerable ill feeling against us as a result of our stand against him. Everyone here feels too that the Salvadoran reservations to the 1923 treaty were meant especially to cover a case of this kind and that we are forcing our will on them in spite of that fact; although I am of course doing my best to refute their thesis.
I am in accord with the leaders of the regime that it is not practicable to call an extraordinary session of the Araujo Assembly for even violent measures might not succeed in persuading that body to be reasonable.
With the excited state of public feeling existing here now the only practicable plan is this: In accordance with the constitution elections for Deputies for the new Assembly will be held beginning the second Sunday in January; the new Assembly will meet between the 1st [Page 212] and 15th of February and will designate three new Designates; and Martínez then would step aside and the First Designate would assume the Presidency (Martínez emphasizes his constitutional succession to the Presidency and it is only through pressure from the leaders of the revolution with whom I talked last night that he can be persuaded to step aside in February).
There is nothing more to be done here until the Assembly meets in February and therefore we plan to leave here next Sunday or Monday for Washington unless of course the Department desires otherwise.
I shall have additional recommendations to make upon my arrival at Washington. [Caffery.]