File No. 815.032/15
Minister Ewing to the
Secretary of State
[Extract]
No. 391
American Legation,
Tegucigalpa,
January 2, 1917.
Sir: I have the honor to report that the
Honduran National Congress convened yesterday, New Year’s Day, for its
opening session at two o’clock in the afternoon, and that all the
Deputies with the diplomatic and consular corps listened attentively to
the reading by the President of his message.
At a little before two o’clock the large hall was crowded with visitors
who held entrance cards and at the appointed hour President Bertrand
arrived, escorted by the Ministers of his Cabinet, while the assembly
arose and remained standing during the playing of the Honduran national
anthem. Thereafter President Bertrand read his message and I have the
honor to enclose a copy of the address, in duplicate.
President Bertrand spoke of the actual friendly relations between the
Central American Republics, due to the frankness and fairness with which
all international questions were discussed, but made practically no
mention concerning Mexican affairs nor the European war. The boundary
disputes with Guatemala and Salvador were but briefly mentioned and
their early solution was forecasted in an optimistic line of
thought.
On the whole the message is a well written report of what has taken place
during the past year and unquestionably made a very favorable impression
on all who heard it.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure—Extract—Translation]
[Untitled]
Both the Court of Justice and the International Office of Central
America are performing their duties as regularly as may be
desirable, each one of those important institutions fulfilling its
respective fruitful mission.
Owing to its nature and importance and to its having been the subject
of wide publicity the treaty which, under the name of
Bryan-Chamorro, was concluded by the Government of Nicaragua with
that of the United States of America on August 5, 1914, is
well-known; and in connection with that treaty the Government of
Salvador, seeing a direct and serious menace to its rights and
interests in the power conferred therein to establish a naval base
in the Gulf of Fonseca, instituted action against the Government of
Nicaragua on August 14, 1916, before the Central American Court of
Justice, the main purpose of which being that the defendant should
refrain from carrying out the said convention.
[Page 835]
The action was primarily based on the right of joint dominion which
the Salvadorean Government means to exercise in the waters of the
Bay of Fonseca, the Government of this Republic sent a protest to
the first named and to the Central American Court of Justice in
order to protect the rights which belong to Honduras over the
islands and waters of the Gulf, bearing in mind that the adjacent
territorial sea which, in accordance with the universal doctrine and
our domestic law, is nothing but a continuation of the national
territory, subject, therefore, to the exclusive sovereignty of the
State.
The Government, jealous and mindful of all that tends to guarantee
the interests of the nation, hastened to instruct its Minister
accredited at Washington to lay before the American Government the
rights which Honduras holds on the Gulf of Fonseca and to object to
the treaty then being negotiated between the United States and
Nicaragua whenever any of its provisions should invade such rights
or in any way affect the sovereignty and independence of this
Republic.
The American Senate, owing to the protest entered by Costa Rica,
Honduras and Salvador, added the statement that it is not intended
to affect any existing right of any of the said states.
The Central American Court of Justice is engaged in carrying on the
proceedings and study of the matter above referred to and it is
expected that its decision will shortly be known.
Our relations with the United States of North America and the other
Republics of the continent that have always been frank and loyal are
feeling the beneficent influence of the spirit of Pan Americanism
which happily animates the peoples and Governments and is given
expression in international acts and practices of the highest
significance and consequence in the various branches of political
and social existence.
This Government received an invitation to take part in the scientific
congress which met in Washington in December, 1915, and accepted
with the greatest pleasure that very important invitation,
appointing two representatives, Doctors Don Fausto Dávila and Don
Carlos Alberto Uclés, one of the main results of the congress being
the establishment of the Institute of International Law whose ends
are marked with the utmost importance.
