File No. 822.00/353.
Minister Hartman to the Secretary of State.
Quito, February 16, 1914, 6 p.m.
Answering your February 14, 6 p.m. The report that Tulcan is occupied by the revolutionists is not true. The Minister for Foreign Affairs informed me today that the Government has 10,000 soldiers and 5,000 police under arms and that it is in control of all the Republic except a portion of Esmeraldas. He also said that the plans of the Government at Esmeraldas are to surround the revolutionary forces and capture them without bloodshed if possible. I have no way of ascertaining the number of revolutionary soldiers. At present the situation is favorable to the Government.