Evening star., 1934-02-04
|SALVADOR'S RECOGNITION
EVIDENCE OF 'NEW DEAL"
State Departments Action Ended In.
congruous Situation Unjustified
in Law or Politics.

such uprisings had a reportedly COM
munistic character, endangering the
lives and property Of foreign residents
in the interior of the country. 1t is
only logical to suppose that early rec
ognition by the United States would
have checked this unrest at the start
and, perhaps, avoided 1t entirely.
Technically in Treaty.
Another political reason supporting
recognition Of the Martinez govern
ment by the United States was the
fact that the State Department. since
the beginning Of the Hoover -Stimson
administration. was endeavoring to
regain the lost good will of the Latin
Americans and overcome their sus-
picions by disavowing its past policy
of Intervention and hegemony. And
the lack Of recognition Of a govern
ment with which the Salvadorian
people had shown themselves to be
satisfied was hardly in harmony with
those good intentions.
If all these factors, then-political
and economic-advised recognition of
the Martinez government of El Sal
vador, why did the United States
withhold 1t for two years? 1t did so
| because of treaty technicality.
rather, a normal scruple, for such
treaty technicality did not even bind
the United States. And moral
scruple which was not always OBJ
served in the past. as those familiar
with inter-American relations may re-
call.
BY the Central American treaties
| of tIa f,-e
American republics were parties, these
agreed to recognize only constitutional
and legally elected governments in
them. One particular clause stipu-
lated that no person who had taken
part in successful revolutionary
movement or who had held a cabinet
portfolio in government overthrown
by force could be recognized as head
of the new regime. The Secretary Of
State Of the United States. Mr..
Hughes, declared at that time that
the United States, although not a
party to the agreement, would follow
the policy laid down in these treaties
in so far as the Central American re-
publics were concerned.
Besides the fact that this individual
tractual pledge on the part of the
United States-and besides the fact
that several times since it was an
nounced it had been reversed by ac-
tions of the Washington Government
there were other specific reasons
why the Hughes policy should not
have been applied TO the Salvadorian
case.
In the first place, the Martinez gov
eminent was not exactly revolution
airy regime. 1t was one established
in accordance With the constitution
Of El Salvador which provides that,
in the absence of the chief executive.
the vice president will be the head
OF the government ana that. when the
former leaves his post without con-
gressional permission. the vice presi-
dent automatically shall become his
successor for the remainder of his
term. Gen. Martinez was the legally
elected vice president of El Salvador
when President Araujo abandoned his
post and left the country at the out
break of a military uprising Upon
President Arauio's fight TO Guate-
mala. Vice President Martinez became
the constitutional chief executive of
El Salvador.
At the beginning Gen. Martinez
was suspected of having taken a part
in the uprising and. Though no one
contested his right to succeed Araujo,
public opinion showed itself hesitant
to uphold him. But soon afterward,
when they were convinced that the
vice president had not only remained
aloof in the contest between Araujo
and his military opponents, but had
also prevented the complete overthrow
OF the constitutional status by taking
over the reins and restoring order.
the Salvadorian people rallied to his
support almost without distinction Of
political creeds Later on the Saliva
dorian Congress formally sanctioned
the charge. thus removing any doubt
as to the legality Of the new recime
But even if the Martinez rule WIS
unobiectionable from the point of view
of the Salvadorian constitution. could
it be denied recognition by outside
powers on the grounds defined by the
Central American treaties barring GER
tain persons from heading a govern
ment set up by violence The advo-
|
that Gen. Martinez had personally
engineered the military movement
which caused the flight of President
Araujo. and therefore could not be
recognized. When it was emphatically
proved. with written testimony from
the foreign diplomatic agents ac-
credited to San Salvador, that Gen.
Martinez had had no connection at
all with such a movement, it vas
alleged that he had held a portfolio
in Araulo's cabinet. and was conse-
quently disqualified to figure at the
head of the new government. But
they overlooked the fact that. besides
being a cabinet officer. Gen. Martinez
was also the legally elected vice presi-
dent of the republic. His cabinet post
had not Cancelled his popular mandate
as vice president. If as a cabinet
member he should not be recognized
as the constitutions vice president
he certainly could not be denied rec
ognition.
United States Action Not Justified.
Moreover. the Salvadorian Congre:
had objected at the time of the rat
flcation of the 1923 treaties to th?t
clause referring to the eligibility O;
Central American chief executive
1t had made reservations as to tha
provision, deeming it incompatib,~
with the constitution of Ell Salvador.
Thus, even if the other four Cen
| trail American countries chose to ie-
more all these things and to use thei'
own Interpretation of the 1923 treaties
to deny recognition to the governmer
| of Gen. Martinez the United States.
which was not party to those trea-
ties. had no justification at all in de-
laying such recognition. The United
States was not bound by the Centra
American treaties. 1t had only de-
clared, voluntarily, that it would fol-
low the spirit OF constitutionality EN-
bodied in them with respect to tn"
recognition of Central American re
gimes. The Martinez government
FL Salvador was not in conflict wit
that spirit of constitutionality. Their,