Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-18

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all proper measures to prevent injury to the
property of American citizens. Take all
possible precautions to protect the health of
your officers and men, particularly from
| yellow fever and other diseases which would
| render 1t necessary for you to leave that coast.
where your presence is now very necessary.
| SECRETARY BAYARD'S IMPORTATION.
The following letter was sent by Secre-
tary Bayard to Senator Miller, Chairman
Of the Senate Committee on Foreign Re-
latiOns, yesterday:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,l
WASHINGTON, March l6, 1885.
SIR have the honor to acknowledge the
| rece pit of our letter of March II, asking on be-
| half OF the Committee on Foreign Relations
! to be furnished with such inform at ion as this
department may possess, touching the ru-
| mored attempt by Gen. Barrios, President of
| Guatemala, Ito seize upon the terri
! tory or DESTROY the integrity
| of the republics of Nicaragua, Honduras, San
| Salvador and Costa Rica, and as to what
| steps have been or are being taken by the de-
| partment for the protection or maintenance
| under the existing or pending treaties with
| the republics of Central America of the rights
| of the United States hereunder; also, what
ever information there may be in the Depart
| ment OF State as to any interference or par
| tcipatlon IN the reported difficulties in SAID
| republics by any European power" and fur
| ther stating the readiness of your committee
| to consider any suggestions in the prem SEA
! that may make in reply to your letter.
| THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION.
The telegraphIc correspondence exchanged
| with this department on the subject, copies of
| which are hereto annexed, will place before
| YOUR committee all the information thus far
| received by this department and its action
| thereon. The first lnlimatiOn received here
| in regard to this revolutionary movement was
| telegram addressed TO the President by Gen.
| BarrlOS on March announcing that "iOr the
| purpose of bringing about a union between
| the states of Central America, and making
| them one republic" he had, "witn the APP
| nj 1rF fhan Fl,a
| Supreme Military Chief" and that the Minis
| ter of Foreign Relations Of Guatemala would
| come soon TO Washington. Late n the night
| of the same day, March I, l received a tee-
| gram from SenOr Castellon, Minister of
| Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, saying that the
| decree under which Gen. BarrIos had as
! sumed the military command of Central
| America was approved by the Guatemalan
| Assembly on the previous evening and that
| Nicaragua requested the interference of the
| Government of the United States. On March
| 8 the President received a telegram from
| President ZaldiYar, of San Salvador, in
| forming him that the republics of San Sal
| vadOr, Nicaragua and Costa Rica were re-
| solved to resist with energy an attempt of
| Gen. BarrlOs to enforce a Central American
union. and in view of the reported dispatch
| of Guatemalan troops to attack san salvador,
| urging that this government should check
| the impending conflict Oy "cablegram."
MINISTER HALLS CONFIRMATION.
| A dispatch from Mr.. Hall, United States
| Minister in Central America, received the
1 same day, removed all doubt as to the subver-
| sve and hostile character of Gen. BarriOS'
| movement by reporting that the decree of the
| Guatemalan Assembly was adopted without
| warning and without previous consultation
| with the other States. 1t also appeared that
| Honduras, the next neighbor ami political
| ally of Guatemala, was in sympathy with the
I movement and probably an active party to
| it. This department at once gave expression
| to the views of this government in
| opposition to the revolutionary scheme of
| Gen. Barrios, and telegram was dispatched
| to Minister Hall at Guatemala, instructing
MN tnat InlS government, Wnle believing
| voluntary association Of interests IN Cen
| tral American States desirable, would not
| cOuntenance any display of force by any one
| or more States to cOerce the others, and that
| the United States stand ready to exert its in
| huence to avert conflict and promote peace.
| Special messages were sent the next day to
| the gOvernmentsO of Nicaragua and San Saliva
DOR from which direct application for our
| support had been received. | have also, since
| then, in verbal conference with the Minister
| of Costa Rica, communicated like assurance
| with respect to his government.
HONDURAS SILENCE.
No communications have been received
| from or sent to the government of Honduras
| in this regard. The Mexican government, at
| the instance of the President of San Salvador
| took at once active measures, which the con-
| tiguty of its territory to that of Guatemala,
| and possible distrust of Gen. Barrios friend
illness toward itself, make alike practicable,
and perhaps political necessity, and an
| rounced its intention of preventing the exc
| cution of Gen. Barrios' threat against the
| Minister here has conferred with
me as to the course taken by
Mexico, and have had pleasure In informing
Mr.. Romero that this government will protest
energetlcally against and will use all its
moral influence and lend its good Office to
prevent the destruction of the autonomy of
the Central American States, and to This end
would be glad to have the cooperation of
Mexico. Later details of the situation have
been furnished to me by the Central and
South American Telegraph Company, which
has station at La Lbertad, in San
Salvador. These kilograms, although un-
official, are herewith communicated
for the information of your commit
tee. 1t appears thererrom that on March 10
| the Guatemalan eXpeditonary movement
against san Salvador was stopped, aud that
Gen. Ba1rios had asked President Zaldivar
to send two commissioners to arrange a
settlement.
DIPLOMATIC CONSEQUENCES.
may add that the Costa Rican Minister, on
March IA, informed me that the Mex can
Government had Withdrawn its legation from
Guatemala to San Salvador, and that Senior
Batres, who, in addition to representing
Guatemala and Honduras at this capital, was
also the accredited Minister of San Salvador.
had been deprived of this latter mission
because of his association with the move
ment of Gen. Barrio5 in Guatemala. A
telegram received on March II from the Min
ister Of Foreign Affairs of San Salvador in
forms me that new Minister will be sent
promising him a cordial reception. At my
request, made when the situation in Central
America created By the movement of Gen.
Barrios first became clear, the Secretary of the
Navy has directed the available vessels OF the |
Atlantic and Pacific squadrOns to proceed to
Central American waters to be ready for any
emergency requiring the protection of
American interests.
WHEREABOUTS OF THE VESSELS,
The Swatara is supposed by this time to
have reached Livingston, Guatemala. The
Galena and POwhatan are now at AsDinWaIl
where they will await orders. as it is unlikely
that their presence will be Immediately
needed on the Atlantic coast of Central
America unless the government OF Honduras
should take the aggressive, and their presence
at the Isthmus of Darien is deemed necessary
in view OF formidable iusurrection which
now controls the seapOrts of Colombia. on the
Caribbean. up to the borders of the State of
Panama. The Tennessee, the flagship, the
Alliance and the Yantlc are at New Orleans,
within easy call. On the Pacific side,
the Wachusett, now en- route to
San Francisco, has been cabed
to proceed to Launcien. San Salvador, there
to await orders. The Shenandoah, now on
the Chilian or Peruvian coast, has been or
dered to Panama to receive instructions.
1our letter calls for information as to the
steps taken or contemplated for protecting or
maintaining the rights of the United States
in Central America under existing or pend-
ing treaties. The only treaties comforting
rights or imposing obligations which might
be constructively or contingently affected by
Jn6 eXIlncLlOn OF the independent sovereignty |
OF the contracting States are those here tOfore |
entered into with Honduras and Nicaragua.
THE SHIP RAILWAY.
The fifteenth article of the treaty of 1864
with Honduras has especial reference to the
unreallzed project of a ship railway across
honduranean territory, and guarantees the
entire neutrality OF that road so long as the |
United states shall enjoy stipulated privi- |
leges OF transit; and further, that the United
states, Jointly with Honduras, will protect |
said road from interruption or seizure from |
whatever quarter. The road remaining un-
built, and Honduras being party to the rev. |
olutlOnary attempt to subjugate the liberties |
OF sister republics, it is not evident that any |
obligation rests upon this government under |
that treaty. The treaty of 1867 with Nicara-
qua contains stipulations of protection and |
guarantee with respect to overland transit |
and projected ship canal through Mic |
araguan territory. By article Is |
the United States agree to protect those |
lines OF communication, and to guarantee |
neutrality and innocent use of the same. |
Art Gle l6 provides that if military force be |
required for the protection of persons or pro- |
perty passing over the transit route or through |
the canal md should Nicaragua fail to effect |
sIcI .'rQte ctiOn, the Z nited states, with the |
cOnseng " at the request of Nicaragua, may |
employ force for this and for no other pur- |
pose, and further shat this employment of |
force shall only take place in pursuance of |
iAWs of Congress, watch laws have not as yet |