815.00 Revolutions/158
The Minister in Honduras (Lay) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 2.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s telegram No. 45 of May 23, 4 P.M., regarding (1) the reported departure of a vessel from Belize with arms and munitions for the Honduran rebels, and (2) the request of the President of Honduras to have our naval vessels patrol Honduran territorial waters with the view of preventing illicit shipments of arms reaching the rebels in Honduras, and directing this Legation to report by mail respecting the consideration of a similar patrol service in the Bay of Fonseca in 1927. I have, as instructed, orally and informally informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs that it is not possible for the public vessels of the United States to be employed as requested by the President of Honduras, and explained to him the function of the American naval vessels now in Honduran waters.
It was not intended in my telegram No. 107 of May 21, 2 PM to convey the impression that the SS Santa Marta, reported by the Honduran Consul at New Orleans to the Foreign Office here as having left Belize for Honduras with arms for the rebels, was the Santa Marta [Page 576] of the United Fruit Company, and the Foreign Minister did not so intimate. Small vessels engaged in “gun running” from Belize to Honduras or Nicaragua probably clear from that port under one name and flag and change both at sea. The Legation has suspected for some time that “gun running” vessels from Belize may have brought arms and munitions for Sandino to the Mosquitia delta district, unloaded them in small boats, and transported them in canoes up the Segovia or Coco River to Sandino forces. But without an efficient coast guard or a few hydroplanes it is futile to expect the Honduran Government to prevent arms and ammunition being smuggled into Honduras in the manner above indicated. About eight months ago the Naval Attachè at this Legation was informed by a reliable person at San Pedro Sula that Ferrera had in his possession 200 rifles in boxes marked “Ministerio de la Guerra, Mexico”, which were probably smuggled from Mexico via Belize.
With regard to the use of a United States naval vessel to patrol the Bay of Fonseca in 1927 to prevent “gun running” into Honduras, Minister Summerlin raised the question in the following telegram to the Department;
“No. 18, March 29, 1927, 10 AM. In connection with the report that Ferrera has left Mexico City and is now in Chiapas President Paz suggested to me last evening that one of our naval vessels patrolling the Gulf of Fonseca might prevent gun running into Honduras”.
In the Department’s telegram No. 11 of April 1, 1927, 7 PM, to Minister Summerlin8 in reply to the above, it seems to be indicated that the Department considered the use of naval vessels for patrolling Honduran waters under certain conditions in case “gun running” into Honduras was attempted, but in Minister Summerlin’s telegram No. 19 to the Department of April 4, 1927, 12 Noon,8 he states that reports [are?] that the Nicaraguan revolutionists are not using the waters and territory of Honduras and therefore the vigilance originally suggested apparently is not necessary. These three telegrams are the only reference to this question to be found in the files of this Legation. There is no record of conversations on the subject that may have taken place between the President of Honduras and Minister Summerlin. From these telegrams however, it is possible that the Department had in mind at the time the use of one of our naval vessels to assist in preventing arms and ammunition being smuggled through Honduran ports on the Bay of Fonseca for Sandino.
Respectfully yours,