715.1715/726: Telegram
The Minister in Honduras (Erwin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:46 p.m.]
88. My 86, October 16, 10 a.m.41 The Foreign Minister in person today handed me a note in reply to Department’s telegram Number 33, October 12, 4 p.m. in which the preamble notes the proposal made as to relieving the present tension between the two countries and “from there on, an examination of the basis for a permanent settlement of the fundamental problem”.
It continues “My Government deems that it is convenient to its interests to make clear in writing its resolution in the matter under consideration” and states in the following words that
“First: With the understanding that the immediate and most urgent objective of the suggestion of utilization of the good offices of the three American nations is the proposal of means which might soften the present tension in the relations between Honduras and Nicaragua and that the basic matter cannot be discussed satisfactorily until present obstructive tension has disappeared, my Government accepts the suggestion of good offices on preliminary discussions to arrive at proposing such means, and with that idea submits, on an attached sheet, for the consideration of the American Government, the panels of the American nations of which two are to be chosen, [Page 89] to offer their good offices in association with the Government of the United States.
Second: Upon Honduras’ accepting the suggestion of good offices of the three American nations and the act of arriving at the necessary preliminary discussions to remove the present friction between Honduras and Nicaragua, my Government proceeds on the basis of the textual declaration of the American Government that ‘in no way, this acceptance and that act, should be interpreted as jeopardizing the position and rights of the parties in the subsequent discussions directed towards a permanent arrangement of the basic problem’”
The panel of nations as chosen is as follows: Central American Republics: (1) Costa Rica (2) El Salvador (3) Guatemala; South American Republics: (1) Argentine (2) Colombia (3) Uruguay.
The Foreign Minister again expressed his appreciation of the helpful interest of the United States.
- Not printed.↩