reported to me that the Americans with Vasquez were all safe. I suppose that by this time he has been enabled to make a full and detailed report to the Department. I heard last night that President Vasquez had retreated across the frontier of Salvador. If this be true it is the virtual ending of the constitutional Government of Honduras. I am, etc., D. LYNCH PRINGLE, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Mr. Pringle to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] GUATEMALA, March 10, 1894. U. S. consul at Tegucigalpa telegraphs that Americans who fought with Vasquez are threatened with expulsion by President Bonilla. Consul Peterson urges my going there on the Ranger. Future complications might be avoided by a strong protest. Mr. Pringle to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.]. GUATEMALA, March 12, 1894. Requests Department to suggest that he go on the Ranger to Amapala to meet Consul Peterson. No. 73.] Mr. Pringle to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Guatemala, March 13, 1894. (Received March 29.) SIR: I beg leave to report that the U. S. S. Ranger, Commander Longnecker commanding, arrived from Amapala in the port of San Jose de Guatemala on the evening of the 6th instant. Commander Longnecker informs me that he was requested, through the U. S. consular agent, Mr. Hayden, at Amapala, by the representatives of Gen. Vasquez's government and Gen. Bonilla's government, to allow them to meet on his ship in the harbor of Amapala. He granted their request, and on the morning of the 3d of March Gen. Villela, commandante of Amapala, Col. Pinel, Mr. Rosseur, Gen. Manuel Bonilla, and Mr. Baca were present, Gen. Villela representing Vasquez's government, Gen. Bonilla representing Bonilla's government, and Mr. Baca representing the Nicaraguan Government. An agreement was signed by which, at 8 o'clock the following morn ing, the troops of Gen. Vasquez, amounting in all to about 600 soldiers, were paid off and mustered out, and allowed to proceed to their homes. Later in the day Gen. Bonilla's forces occupied the town. By the terms of this agreement the soldiers were guaranteed a safe conduct to their homes. A general guaranty was also given under which the lives and property of all officers and officials who had served under Gen. Vasquez were secured. Later in the day a petition was sent to Capt. Longnecker, through the consular agent, to give a passage to six gentlemen, namely, Gen. Villela, Col. Pinel, Col. Rodriguez, Messrs. Leira, Valdedares, and one other, to San José de Guatemala, as they were apprehensive that the terms of this agreement would not be carried out, and that their lives might be in danger. Capt. Longnecker, after consultation with the consular agent, decided to grant their request, and brought them safely to San José de Guatemala. As the mail closes before long, I will write more fully of affairs in Honduras by the next mail. I have, etc., D. LYNCH PRINGLE, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Mr. Uhl to Mr. Young. No. 109.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have received Mr. Pringle's No. 75, of April last, in regard to the cases of the American citizens compromised in the late revolution in Honduras. Mr. Pringle's action at Amapala appears to have been discreet. He was right in declining to make any "agreement" whereby the eventual expulsion from Honduras of the American citizens who took part with President Vasquez in the late troubles might be acquiesced in. On general principles it is not compatible with the obligations of a citizen to his own state to take active part in the internal dissensions of another state. The neutrality which it behooves his Government to observe in such cases is equally incumbent upon him as an individual. Although this Government may not uphold any right on the part of these men to engage in the service of either contending faction, it may feel morally bound to protect them as American citizens against any exceptional or unduly harsh treatment, based on the fact of their being American citizens, and especially so in view of the fact that their association with the titular Government, with which this Government at the time maintained relations, only exposed them to penalties in the event of its overthrow. It is hoped that the circumstance of Mr. Pringle's visit with the Ranger to Amapala may suggest the interest which the Government feels in the incident, and that whatever steps may be eventually taken against these men will be tempered by due consideration and be free from all appearance of vindictiveness or harshness. The vicissitudes of government in that region, and the benefits accruing to the State through the invited influx of foreign capital and enterprise, would seem to counsel the avoidance of repellant treatment whereby such aids to national development may be discouraged for the future. Mr. Peterson appears to have been something of an alarmist in this matter, and Mr. Pringle has acted wisely in not allowing himself to be influenced by his not very practical suggestions. I am, etc., EDWIN F. UHL, Acting Secretary. No. 88.1 CEREMONIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. Mr. Pringle to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Guatemala, April 24, 1894. (Received May 10.) SIR: With reference to my dispatch No. 85 of April 10, 1894,* to the Department of State, inclosing the letter from the Provisional President of Honduras to the President of the United States, I beg leave to say that I am informed by my colleagues, the Spanish and the Italian ministers, as well as the German minister, that they do not consider it in accordance with diplomatic etiquette or usage for the Provisional President of Honduras to address an autograph letter to their respective sovereigns until such time as he should have been elected the constitutional President of that Republic. The Italian and Spanish ministers have not seen fit to transmit the letter to their respective Governments. The German minister took the same view that I did, namely, that he was not authorized to withhold any communication that came to his legation, and forwarded it. I merely wish to call the Department's attention to this fact so that it can take such action as it deems advisable in the premises. I have, etc., D. LYNCH PRINGLE, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Mr. Uhl to Mr. Young. No. 107.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have to acknowledge receipt of Mr. Pringle's No. 88, of the 24th ultimo, in relation to the autograph letter from the Provisional President of Honduras to the President of the United States, which was transmitted with his No. 85, of the 10th ultimo. Mr. Pringle did right to forward a communication so received from the de facto head of the Government with which intercourse is held. I am, etc., EDWIN F. UHL, Acting Secretary. ARREST OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS. Mr. Pringle to Mr. Gresham. [Telegram.] GUATEMALA, March 14, 1894. Peterson informs that Imboden and Barnharts are confined, and will be obliged to leave the country. Government of Honduras wishes to deal with party duly authorized to treat. Ranger still here. Not printed. PRINGLE. Mr. Gresham to Mr. Pringle. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Ascertain and report fully charges, what punishment is proposed, and whether service under Vasquez was voluntary. Make no agreement without instructions. GRESHAM. No. 75.] Mr. Pringle to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Guatemala, March 30, 1894. (Received April 19.) SIR: Referring to my three cablegrams of March 10, March 12, and March 14, and to the Secretary's cablegram of March 15, I beg leave to report as follows: It being very apparent that my telegrams to Mr. Peterson were not being forwarded and being under the impression that Mr. Imboden and Messrs. Barnhart were in jail, I discussed the matter with Capt. Longnecker of the U. S. S. Ranger, who had brought the Honduranian refugees mentioned in my No. 73 of March 13, 1894, and he informed me that he had discretionary orders as to going north or returning to Amapala, and could easily take me to Amapala, if I so desired. I therefore made the suggestion to the Department of my meeting Mr. Peterson at Amapala, for the purpose of learning the true state of affairs, and having received the Department's cable of March 15, referred to above, I left San José de Guatemala on the evening of Friday, the 16th, and arrived at Amapala on Sunday morning, the 18th. I found that all telegraphic communication with Tegucigalpa was interrupted. After waiting three days without hearing anything from Mr. Peterson, and when about to return, I received a telegram informing me that he was on his way to Amapala, where he arrived on the night of the 22d. After conferring with him for two days I returned here on the 26th. In the first place I found that I had misinformed the Department as to the fact of Mr. Imboden and Messrs. Barnhart being in confinement. As Mr. Peterson, in his telegram to me dated March 12, made use of the words "in limbo," I cabled the Department, under the impression that they were in confinement. Mr. Peterson and myself differ very materially upon the meaning of the words "in limbo." I claim, and am supported in my assertion by Webster, that "in limbo" means in "confinement" or "detention." He urged me very strongly to go to the capital with him for the purpose, as he expressed it, of "making an agreement" of some kind with Presi dent Bonilla relative to the punishment of Mr. Imboden and Messrs. Barnhart. This I declined to do without positive instructions from the Department. I inclose copy of letter which I requested Mr. Peterson to write to me while at Amapala, as his verbal statements to me were somewhat vague and differed materially at different times. As President Bonilla up to that time had taken no action against these Americans, I failed to see where anything could be done until such time as an overt act was committed. Mr. Peterson differed with me, and seemed to think something ought to be done, but failed to explain in what way or how it should be done. I deem it best to inclose copies of all his correspondence, which I found on my return here. I advised Mr. Peterson to be very careful in his communications or conversations with President Bonilla, as he was in no way authorized, either officially or unofficially, to discuss such matters with the Presi dent of Honduras. The point raised by President Bonilla, and referred to by Mr. Peterson, namely, that of organizing a military commission, may prove, in my opinion, serious. The Department will, however, judge of this point when it is raised. As matters now stand, I infer that it will be some time before an action is taken against any of these men. I therefore shall do nothing more unless further instructed by the Department. In conclusion I beg leave to state that, in my opinion, the moral effect of the Ranger returning, with myself on board, will prove very benefi cial and useful, thereby showing that some interest is being taken in the welfare of American citizens in Honduras. Trusting that my action in this matter may be approved, D. LYNCH PRINGLE, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. [Inclosure 1 in No. 75.] Mr. Peterson to Mr. Pringle. CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES, Tegucigalpa, March 22, 1894. (Now at Amapala.) SIR: I have to report to you in regard to the cases of American citizens, compromised in the late revolution in Honduras, as follows: Mr. Bonilla, the provisional President of Honduras, informed me, unofficially, that it is his purpose to expel from the country each and all foreigners who were engaged in favor of Gen. Vasquez, the late President. He stated, in more than one conversation, that he regarded the said foreigners as guerillas, and in no sense entitled to the treatment accorded to regularly enlisted soldiers. He stated that he knows that the foreigners went out with Gen. Vasquez as sharpshooters and as volunteers, but held no commissions and signed no rolls. This is true of all of them with the exception of John Haas and H. O. Jeffers, Americans, and Fred. Budde, a German. At the same time Bonilla had foreigners in his own army, who maintain the same status as those in Vasquez's army, but they, being on the "winning side," are to be unmolested. Bonilla stated to me that if amicable arrangements could not be made in the cases of the compromised foreigners, he would organize a military commission and regnlarly try, not only foreigners, but natives also, and the decision of the commission would be final. He proposes, if said commission is organized, to try the foreigners, not as regular soldiers, but as guerillas, and I might say that the decision of the commission can be easily predicted, that is, that every man of them will be convicted and the sentence will most certainly be expulsion from the territory of Honduras. The following are the names of the American citizens who are under the ban: C. W. Cleaney, H. M. Barnhart, H. C. Barnhart, J. P. Imboden, and Charles Cadalso, who are in Honduras, and John Haas, McClelland, Brown, and H. O. Jeffers, who are, I think, in Salvador. What Bonilla means by "an amicable arrangement," in my judgment, is that agreements shall be made between him and each of the parties interested, approved by you as the diplomatic representative of the United States to the effect that each person shall be given time to settle up his business, and then voluntarily leave the country, never to return. All of these men have business interests in Honduras of more or less importance, and it is proposed to grant them more or less time, according to the importance or peculiar state of the business of each. The business of some of these men is suffering for lack of attention, because, while no one is under arrest, all who are in the country are practically debarred from doing |