File No. 714.1515/43
The Secretary of State to Chargé Thurston
Washington, December 22, 1917, 7 p.m.
Your December 16, 10 a.m. Honduras claims far to the north of the Motagua River. Guatemala claims far to the south of this same river. The United States Government does not pretend to make any decision as to the justice of either claim. However, in view of the mutual requests of both the Guatemalan and Honduran Governments that the Government of the United States lend its good offices in an effort to bring to a final end the boundary dispute, this Government cannot but feel that the massing of Guatemalan troops south of the Motagua River is an act calculated to produce friction, as well as an infraction of the spirit of Article IV of the Protocol of September 17, 1917, concluded between the Guatemalan and Honduran Governments.
With special reference to articles 3 and 4 of your December 16, 10 a.m., the Department of State feels that, pending a definite arbitral settlement of the boundary question, the Governments of Guatemala and Honduras should both withdraw all troops from the disputed territory lying between the Merendén mountains and the Motagua River as suggested by President Cabrera.
The United States Government has inquired of the Government of Honduras if such a temporary arrangement would be agreeable to it.
With reference to certain concessions in this disputed territory it seems pertinent to point out that questions of concessionary rights in the disputed territory should not be discussed in a pure question international boundary.