815.00/1970: Telegram

The Minister in Honduras ( Jones ) to the Secretary of State

The President offering the opening I had two hours confidential talk with him last evening. He presented his side with profound earnestness declaring General Gutierrez had arranged uprising for August 25 and he merely anticipated this by a month, deprecated bloodshed and wanted peace and order. I told him if he requested [Page 383] I would submit for your approval any favorable proposal of settlement, the trend of conference justifying it. I suggested an immediate truce and an agreement, satisfactory to opposition, for free election without military interference, or each side to select not more than six with an impartial umpire, the candidate selected to be supported by all. He said earnestly: “Wait a few days, say one week, and let me see if I can not terminate revolution, if not I will send for you.” We closed conference under solemn [garbled group] pledge and he thanked me again and again. I suggest that you instruct me to say how distressing the situation is to all friends of Honduras and Central America and urge him to make sacrifices to protect the situation and that in this interest you tender your good offices or something stronger. He advised me of pending engagement at San Pedro Sula and frontier near Nicaragua yesterday or today and its results may change his attitude.

Jones