File No. 033.1100 K77/7.]

The Minister of Honduras to the Acting Secretary of State.

[Translation]

Mr. Secretary: I have had the honor to receive the obliging note dated the 13th instant1 by which your excellency is pleased to inform [Page 625] me that the President, impressed with the importance of the relations between the United States and the Republics of Central America, happily so friendly and which will grow closer and more intimate with the approach of the opening of the Panama Canal from which are hoped so many mutual benefits to our countries, has directed the Secretary of State to visit the capitals of the Republics referred to, stopping also at the capitals of Venezuela and Panama, and probably visiting Mexico and Colombia.

Your excellency is pleased to say that the final decision of the President was reached so shortly before the departure of Mr. Knox for Florida that it was not possible to give me previous private information thereof, and even now you must reserve for a later communication the pleasure of informing me of the precise date of the visit of the Secretary of State to Honduras.

Your excellency adds that before his departure Mr. Knox asked you to assure me of the great pleasure with which he looks forward to visiting my country and personally knowing the members of the Government and signalizing in that way the particular importance attached by the President to those relations of the most cordial amity which it is the aim of the United States to cultivate with Honduras.

In reply I am glad to express to your excellency the satisfaction with which I have received the announcement of the visit of his excellency the Secretary of State to Central America and the other countries named, and, more particularly, to Honduras; and I may assure your excellency that my Government and the people of Honduras will in grateful acknowledgment fittingly respond to this signal honor and evidence of friendship from the Government of the United States.

The personal acquaintance made by the Secretary of State with the Governments in the countries to be visited by him will undoubtedly strengthen the relations that are now happily existing and must grow closer and closer with the opening of the Panama Canal on account of the benefits from that great undertaking to which all America looks forward.

I beg your excellency to be so good as to convey my thanks to Mr. Knox for his courteous communication, to assure him in my behalf of the loyal response he will receive from my Government and to express to him my very sincere wishes for the best success of his visit.

With [etc.]

F. Dávila.
  1. The identic letter printed under Panama: “Visit of the Secretary of State to the Republics of Central America and the Caribbean Sea,” p. 1240.