File No. 763.72/7824
The Guatemalan Special Mission to the United States to the Secretary of State
Memorandum
The undersigned, Envoys Extraordinary of Guatemala, first present the assurances of their high consideration to the most excellent, the Secretary of State of the United States of America and now proceed to formulate the points upon which they are to negotiate with the enlightened Government of your excellency in the discharge of the special mission with which they have been entrusted.
In the first place, they are to confirm to the Government of the United States the engagement made, by Guatemala to cooperate with it in such a manner as may be needful, in the defense of the cause which the United States has espoused, and which Guatemala regards as the common cause of America, involving as it does the rights of all the peoples of the continent, and do so with a statement that in order to make its cooperation effective, the Government of Guatemala must be suitably prepared by obtaining the necessary elements, both with respect to material interests and to the necessity of averting and settling international questions which might benumb or impede its action.
To achieve such a preparation and conformably to the valuable promise of the Government of the United States, that of Guatemala bespeaks its aid in the following form:
- 1.
- Support sufficient to secure the money which Guatemala needs to adjust its financial condition, by means of a loan granted on the same terms as the nations allied with the United States have obtained for theirs, it being understood that the Government of Guatemala is ready to give such guarantees as may be deemed necessary for the conclusion of the transaction.
- 2.
- Facilities to import from the United States the necessaries of life that Guatemala may need and to export to that market the products of the soil of Guatemala.
- 3.
- Assurances that Guatemala may depend at all times on the means of ocean transportation which must be had to carry on commercial intercourse between the two countries.
- 4.
- To forestall conflicts which both Mexico and Salvador, severally or jointly, might, in accordance with plans already known to the Government of the United States, bring on to Guatemala at her border, the last named country wishes to feel that it may depend on the United States’ mediation to avert them, or its assistance to repel them.
- 5.
- The boundary dispute now pending between Guatemala and Honduras being one of the means of offence of which Mexico and Salvador would avail themselves to put Guatemala into difficulties, which might restrain its freedom of action should the case rise to cooperate in the United States, the Guatemalan Government deems it advisable to settle this dispute so as to remove any cause of disagreement and to that end bespeaks the potent mediation of the Government of the United States towards inducing that of Honduras to enter into an equitable and fair diplomatic agreement—a memorandum on this point will be submitted separately,1 and
- 6.
- That the American Government extend to the Guatemalan Government the needed facilities to import from the United States the armament required for the defence of its ports and cities, and for the efficient military preparedness of the country in order that it may lend its assistance if need be.
We cherish the hope that the topics briefly stated in this memorandum will receive favorable consideration on the part of the enlightened Government of the United States.
- M. Echeverria y Vldaurre
- Manuel Ma. Giron
- Claudio Urrutia
Washington, September 14, 1917.