713.1311/311: Telegram
The Minister in Honduras (Lay) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:47 p.m.]
33. The following telegram has been sent to the Legation at Guatemala City:
“March 24, 1 p.m. Referring to your telegram of March 21, 1 p.m., to the Department, El Cronista published yesterday telegram from Silverio Laínez to President Carías reporting proceedings of the Congress of which the following an extract:
‘Article 14 was discussed and Costa Rica proposed for purposes of conciliation invoking general treaty of inter-American arbitration January 5th, 1929. Delegate Salazar also invoked it. We objected that Honduras signed it with reservations which we read. We have sustained our thesis with much prudence and tact in order not to specify any exceptional case of a closed matter. We said that the opinion of the other delegations will always merit profound respect but if our thesis is not accepted we will sign with reservations. Mr. Salazar suggested abolishing article 14 and possibly 15 but made no motion to that effect.’
President Carías probably publishing this telegram to get public reaction but he hoped, as briefly alluded to in my telegram No. 8, January 29, 5 p.m. to the Department, that Honduras having accepted the Guatemalan-Honduras award, although considered unfavorable by Honduras, that some Central American Governments would view with sympathy and justice the present Honduran proposal that any agreement for compliance with the arbitral decisions should apply to existing arbitral decisions.
Repeated to the Department and by air mail Central American missions.”