[Enclosure]
Memorandum To Be Handed to the President of
Guatemala (Ubico)
The Government of the United States has had its attention drawn on a
number of occasions to the controversy which has unfortunately
existed for many years between the United Kingdom and the Republic
of Guatemala over matters relating to the boundary between that
country and British Honduras. It is understood that the controversy
is concerned primarily with the application and interpretation of
the Treaty of 1859 between the two Governments, in which connection
it is recalled that an agreement for carrying out certain of the
provisions of that Treaty was entered into in 186310 between representatives of
the Government of the United Kingdom and of Guatemala, but that it
was never ratified by either party.
In October, 1938, the Government of Guatemala published a White Book relating the history of this
controversy and giving the texts of
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documents and official correspondence
including notes exchanged at various times between His Majesty’s
Government and the Guatemalan Government with respect to the
possibility of a settlement. The most recent correspondence on that
subject apparently began on February 21, 1933, on which date the
British Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Guatemala City addressed a
note to the Guatemalan Minister for Foreign Affairs regarding the
desire of His Majesty’s Government that the delimitation of the
boundary between British Honduras and Guatemala be undertaken. In
the exchange of notes which ensued there was discussed likewise the
question of the fulfillment of the provisions of Article 7 of the
Treaty of 1859 regarding the establishment of a means of
communication between British Honduras and Guatemala City.
Unfortunately the two Governments were unable to reach an agreement
concerning the questions at issue, and no recent progress appears to
have been made toward a settlement.
The Government of the United States naturally has no desire to
express any opinion either as to the merits of the issues involved
or as to possible methods of adjustment. It has, however, a very
genuine interest in the friendly settlement of any dispute the
existence of which tends to impair the cordial relations now
prevailing in this hemisphere, and it accordingly could but view
with the most profound satisfaction the initiation of practical
steps toward an equitable solution of the present problem.
During recent years very notable progress has been made in the
settlement of boundary disputes in the New World.
The solution of the Tacna Arica problem13
occurred in 1929 after fifty years of controversy between Chile and
Peru. Incidents in the Leticia area between Colombia and Peru
brought those countries almost to the verge of hostilities before an
amicable settlement was effected in 1934.14 The
solution of the Chaco controversy between Bolivia and Paraguay15 was one
of the most important achievements for peace during the past year
and as a result the relations of the two countries are now on a
cordial and satisfactory basis. In 1933 the Governments of Guatemala
and Honduras accepted a mutually satisfactory arbitral settlement of
their frontier, which has since been delimited.16
Although territorial problems still exist as between Peru and
Ecuador,17 and between Nicaragua and
Honduras, these controversies have recently been the subject of
amicable negotiation, giving rise to the hope that final settlements
may not be impossible of attainment.
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The Government of the United States would look with especial pleasure
upon a renewal of efforts on the part of the Governments of Great
Britain and Guatemala to obtain a satisfactory adjustment of the
problems relating to the British Honduras-Guatemala frontier, and it
is the earnest hope of the Government of the United States that
steps in that direction may be undertaken at an early date. A
friendly solution of this long-standing controversy would be a
signal example, particularly timely in view of present world
conditions, of the value of the pacific method of settlement of
international differences.
A similar memorandum is being transmitted to the British
Government.
Washington,
June 8,
1939.
