File No. 713.001/8.
The American Minister to the Secretary of State.
San José, Costa Rica, November 19, 1910.
Sir: I have the honor to further acknowledge receipt of the following despatches3 relating to the building for the Central American Court of Justice: No. 863, file No. 713.001/4, of the 24th ultimo: No. 864, file No. 713.001/5, of the 27th ultimo; and file No. 713.001/6 of 31st ultimo.
Since their receipt I have had a confidential interview with His Excellency José Astua Aguilar, Costa Rica magistrate in said court, and have sent a note to the secretary of the court, Mr. Ernesto Martin, informing him that Mr. Carnegie was not disposed to have [Page 90] his funds used for the construction of a temporary building as suggested. Judge Aguilar freely admitted the disgraceful result of poor construction and partly poor material at the Cartago court building and is of the opinion that the arrangement for the location and construction of the next building should be made at Washington, where all the Central American Republics are represented, and where Mr. Carnegie is accessible. He thinks that the location can be changed to San José; but inasmuch as article 5 of the Washington Convention of December 27, 1907, specifies Cartago as the location of the court, the permission to change the location would have to receive the assent of the signatory Republics through their Washington representatives. I also suggested to him that instead of spending one-tenth of the fund for realty the Government has vacant land in suitable location here which can be utilized for the purpose, permitting the entire fund to be used for construction. There is an excellent location for the building in the eastern part of the National Park to which the building would be an attractive ornament.
As I have no instruction to take further action in the matter, I shall not communicate with the Costa Rica Government in relation to it. What funds remain were in possession of ex-President Gonsales Víquez and have no doubt been by him transferred to President Jiménez.
With assurances [etc.],
- Not printed.↩