715.1715/1378: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Representative of the President (Corrigan)13
31. [1] Reference Ocheltree’s telegram No. 98, January 6, 11 a.m. The action of the Government of Honduras in rejecting the proposal [Page 149] of the Boundary Commission for an aerial survey of the Segovia basin is of course regrettable from every point of view but I feel emphatically that it should not be allowed to terminate the efforts of the Commission to reach a solution of the problem. I feel that it is now more imperative than ever that the Commission proceed to carry out the long-projected visits to Managua and Tegucigalpa to confer with the two Presidents and that this should be done without delay. When news of the Honduran action becomes public, we may be confronted with a renewal of tension between the two countries. The visit would emphasize to the public in Honduras and Nicaragua that mediatory efforts have not been abandoned and through direct discussions with President Carías it should be possible to convince him of the desirability of the aerial survey as a preliminary step which would facilitate an ultimate solution.
Please consult with the other members of the Commission at once with regard to the visit and inform me of developments. It is hoped that at least one of the other members can accompany you as it would not be desirable for you to go alone.
Repeated to Ocheltree.
- Frank P. Corrigan, special representative of the President on the Mediation Commission, in the boundary dispute between Honduras and Nicaragua, was also Minister to Panama. On August 14, 1939, he presented his credentials as Ambassador to Venezuela.↩