File No. 822,124/220.

The American Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.—Paraphrase.]

In reply to Department’s telegram of July 25 I send the following translation of the note No. 357 from the Government of Ecuador, dated July 28, 1912:

In reply to your note 81 dated the 27th, I have the honor to say:

  • First. My Government desires that the complete work of the sanitation of the city of Guayaquil and its suburbs shall be carried out by the Government of the United States, without the intervention of any companies, contractors or private speculators whatsoever.
  • Second. As the plans of Señor Coignet are limited to one part only of the city of Guayaquil, my Government considers them insufficient for the complete sanitation of Guayaquil. In consequence it will deposit in a bank in Guayaquil, to the order of the War Department of the United States, the amount of money which the said Department deems necessary for the immediate inspection and study of all the engineering works necessary, including sewers, water supply and pavements.
  • Third. My Government deems it urgent to sign the proper convention with the Government of the United States of America in accordance with my memorandum of May 6, 1912, so that it may be approved by the next Ecuadorian Congress (August 10, 1912 to October 10, 1912).

(Signed) A. E. Arcos.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs says that nearly 1,000,000 sucres have already been accumulated for purposes of sanitation and 8100 dollars gold (amount estimated by Colonel Goethals) will be immediately available upon receipt of information that the Government of the United States is ready to negotiate a convention along the lines of the memorandum accompanying my 97.

Bingham.