Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1937, The American Republics, Volume V

715.1715/661a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Honduras (Erwin)³¹

Washington, October 1, 1937—7 p.m.

30. Yesterday the boundary dispute was discussed separately with the Honduran Chargé and the Nicaraguan Minister at some length along the following lines:

That the United States, while it is not extending its good offices at this moment, nevertheless, as a friend of Honduras, is desirous of assisting in every way agreeable to the two Republics to bring about a satisfactory termination of this long standing controversy which has given rise in the past to bitterness, recriminations and even military preparations on the part of both countries;

That in view of the solemn pledges for the maintenance of peace, entered into at the recent conference at Buenos Aires, it would be highly unfortunate if the dispute could not be amicably settled;

That this Government firmly believes that both Honduras and Nicaragua are desirous of arriving at a mutually satisfactory understanding that would remove forever the source of irritation;

That if the two countries can sit down at a common council table and settle their differences between themselves, they will have given an example to the world of statesmanship and of the ability of countries to settle their differences peacefully;

That it is hoped, therefore, that the two countries will take an early opportunity to confer with one another in an endeavor to find, first of all, a mutually agreeable basis for procedure and, secondly, by following that procedure, a final settlement of the dispute; and

That this Government, and it is presumed other American governments, would of course wish to consider earnestly any joint request for their friendly good offices that the Governments of Nicaragua and Honduras might wish to make as a result of their consultation with one another.

Finally the opportunity was taken to point out to the Minister that should this dispute become more acute, and no pacific solution appear to be envisaged, it would then seem fitting and in accordance with the spirit of the pledges entered into at Buenos Aires that the countries of this hemisphere consult with one another in order to determine what proposals for peaceful settlement they might care to offer.

The Honduran Chargé brought out the point that Honduras had accepted the protocol of 1930,³² but that it had been rejected by the Nicaraguan Congress. In the ensuing discussion it was intimated that possibly this protocol could serve as one of the bases for the discussions between the two governments, an effort being made to find some common meeting ground on those aspects of the protocol which were found unsatisfactory by the Nicaraguan Congress.

You are requested to seek an immediate audience with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and to reiterate to him the views of the Department as expressed to the representatives of his country here. If the discussion provides a suitable opening you may mention that the protocol of 1930 might be one of the starting points for the direct discussions between the two countries.

Please inform the Department by telegram of the Minister’s views, when formulated.

A similar telegram is being sent to Managua.

Hull

31. The same, mutatis mutandis, October 1, 7 p.m., to the Chargé in Nicaragua as telegram No. 62.
32. Signed at Managua January 21, 1931; see Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. i, p. 377, footnote 2; ibid., 1931, vol. i, pp. 792 ff. For text, see Nicaragua, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Exposicion sobre la cuestión de limites entre Nicaragua y Honduras y protocolo de arreglo susorito el 21 de enero de 1931 (Managua, Imprenta Nacional, 1931), pp. 19–23.