811.015315/10

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

[Extract]
No. 156

Sir: Referring to my cablegram of to-day, 3 P.M.,19 I have the honor to inform you that the annoying Flag-desecration incident at Juticalpa, has been closed, to my mind satisfactorily, and I have so notified the Government of Honduras.

. . . . . . .

I attach hereto a copy and translation of the Note from the Foreign Office, for your information.

I have [etc.]

T. Sambola Jones
[Page 399]
[Enclosure—Translation20]

The Honduran Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ( López Ponce ) to the American Minister ( Jones )

In the courteous note of January 17th last, Your Excellency is pleased to state, with reference to your communication of December 11th, last, relative to the insult to the flag of your country, and to the reply in which I informed Your Excellency that my Government would take the necessary steps for the investigation of the case and the punishment of the guilty persons, that your Government has given you instructions to request that this unpleasant incident be closed.

Your Excellency is pleased to add according to what you have stated to me, personally, in our several conversations on this subject, that an expression of regret on the part of my Government, together with the customary apologies, would seem to be proper in the premises, and again you insist on such procedure with the conviction that this will bring about an early and friendly solution of the question.

I have to inform you that due to the severe epidemic which has existed, for some time, in the city of Juticalpa and in the towns of the Department of Olancho, to the end of causing delays in the public service and delays in the means of communication, it has not been possible for me to know the result of the investigation made by the authorities of the capital of that department, until the first of the present month, for the settlement of the incident alluded to, which is the reason why I had not replied before to-day to Your Excellency’s note of the 17th of January, last, above referred to.

From the investigations ordered relating to that incident there does not appear to have existed any intention to cause injury to the flag of the United States; it resulted only from a wrongful act, in a state of drunkenness, for which the individuals Miguel Ordonez, Rafael Hernandez and Manuel Sanchez deserved punishment, the last two named having quarreled; and it is evident from the same investigations that the said individuals were imprisoned, thereby suffering the punishment which they merit for such infractions according to the law of the country.

Notwithstanding these deductions, Excellent Sir, my Government regrets the incident referred to; and appreciates greatly that Your Excellency’s Government wishes to close this matter, assured as [Page 400] it will be of the sincerity with which the Government of Honduras always endeavors to maintain the most cordial relations with the United States of America.

I avail myself [etc.]

M. López Ponce
  1. Not printed.
  2. Substituted for file translation.