Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T03:06:03.310Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The United States and the Rise of General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2009

Kenneth J. Grieb
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The military coup d'état which installed General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez as President of El Salvador during December 1931 created a crisis involving the 1923 Washington Treaties. By the terms of these accords, the Central American nadons had pledged to withhold recognition from governments seizing power through force in any of the isthmian republics. Although not a signatory of the treaty, the United States based its recognition policy on this principle. Through this means the State Department had attempted to impose some stability in Central America, by discouraging revolts. With the co-operation of the isthmian governments, United States diplomats endeavored to bring pressure to bear on the leaders of any uprising, to deny them the fruits of their victory, and thus reduce the constant series of coups and counter-coups that normally characterized Central American politics.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Latin American Studies , Volume 3 , Issue 2 , November 1971 , pp. 151 - 172
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 For an account of the maneuvers leading to the 1923 Washington Conference, and the United States role in the accords, see Grieb, Kenneth J., ‘The United States and the Central American Federation’, The Americas, 24, 2 (10 1967), 107–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2 For the details of the Guatemalan episode, see Grieb, Kenneth J., ‘American Involvement in the Rise of Jorge Ubico’, Caribbean Studies, 10, 1 (04 1970), 5–21.Google Scholar

3 Harris, Major Arthur (United States military attaché in Central America) to War Department, 22 12 1931Google Scholar, United States State Department Papers, National Archives, RG 59, 816.00/828. Hereafter, State Department papers are cited by file number only.

4 Robbins, Warren D. (United States Minister in San Salvador) to Secretary of State Stimson, Henry L., 18 12 1930, 816.00/781, and 2 01 1931, 816.00/782.Google Scholar

5 Robbins, to Stimson, , 2 01 1931, 816.00/782.Google Scholar

6 Robbins, to Stimson, , 23 01 1931, 816.00/793.Google Scholar

7 Robbins, to Stimson, , 2 12 1930, 816.00/776; 18 12 1930, 816.00/781; 23 01 1931, 816.00/793; and 10 01 1931, 816.00/784.Google Scholar

8 Robbins, to Stimson, , 2 12 1930, 816.00/776.Google Scholar

9 Robbins, to Stimson, , 13 01 1931, 816.00/786, and 16 01 1931, 816.00/791.Google Scholar

10 Robbins, to Stimson, , 12 02 1931, 816.00/796.Google Scholar

11 Robbins, to Stimson, , 27 03 1931, 816.00/801.Google Scholar

12 Lt.-Col. Cruse, Fred T. (United States military attaché in Central America) to War Department, 30 04 1931, 816.00/803.Google Scholar

13 Finley, Harold D. to Stimson, , 8 07 1931, 816.00/807.Google Scholar

14 Finley, to Stimson, , 13 07 1931, 816.00/806, and 15 07 1931, 816.00/808.Google Scholar

15 Finley, to Stimson, , 8 08 1931, 816.00/811; 11 09 1931, 816.00/813; and 21 10 1931, 816.00/815.Google Scholar

16 Curtis, Charles (United States Minister in San Salvador) to Stimson, , 5 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/35, and 8 12 1931, 816.01/15Google Scholar; and New York Times, 4 and 5 December 1931.

17 Curtis, to Stimson, , 4 12 1931Google Scholar, 816.00 Revolutions/14, and New York Times, 4 December 1931.

18 Curtis, to Stimson, , 3 12 1931Google Scholar, 816.00 Revolutions/1, and 5 Dec. 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/35.

19 Curtis, to Stimson, , 5 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/35.Google Scholar

20 Stimson, to all United States Legations in Central America, 4 12 1931Google Scholar, 816.00 Revolutions/3 and New York Times, 5 and 8 December 1931.

21 Higgins, Lawrence, Tegucigalpa, , to Stimson, , 5 12 1931, 816.01/5Google Scholar; Lay, Julius G., Tegucigalpa, , to Stimson, , 21 12 1931Google Scholar; 816.01/28; Whitehouse, Sheldon, Guatemala, , to Stimson, , 21 12 1931, 816.01/29Google Scholar; and Werlich, McCeney, José, San, to Stimson, , 5 12 1931, 816.01/6.Google Scholar

22 For example, Curtis, to Stimson, , 3 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/3, and 4 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/14.Google Scholar

23 Curtis, to Stimson, , 5 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/35.Google Scholar

24 Stimson, to Curtis, , 7 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/31.Google Scholar The Department had previously had similar problems obtaining clear information from Curtis during his service as minister to the Dominican Republic.

25 Curtis, to Stimson, , 8 12 1931, 816.01/15.Google Scholar

26 Whitehouse, , Guatemala, , to Stimson, , reporting conversations with Araujo, 5 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/26, and 9 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/37.Google Scholar

27 Curtis, to Stimson, , 11 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/39.Google Scholar

28 Curtis, to Stimson, , 8 12 1931, 816.01/15.Google Scholar

29 On 6 Dec. Curtis reported, ‘I believe my statement that Vice President Martínez took an active part in the revolution was not based on reliable evidence’, concluding ‘I cannot believe him innocent but have no real proof he was involved’, Curtis, to Stimson, , 6 12 1931Google Scholar, 816.00 Revolutions/23. Two days later, Curtis sent a list of items casting suspicion on Martínez and those factors which seemed to exonerate him, Curtis, to Stimson, , 8 12 1931, 816.01/15.Google Scholar After a further three days, Curtis reported that Martínez was ‘entitled to a verdict of not guilty’, Curtis, to Stimson, , 11 12 1931, 816.00 Revolutions/39.Google Scholar

30 Stimson, to Curtis, , 11 12 1931, 816.01/17A.Google Scholar

31 Curtis, to Stimson, , 13 12 1931, 816.01/18 and 16 12 1931, 816.01/21.Google Scholar

32 Curtis, to Stimson, , 15 12 1931, 816.01/31.Google Scholar

33 New York Times, 18 December 1931.

34 Caffery was on sick leave at the time, but had recovered sufficiently to cut his medical treatment short to undertake the mission.

35 Caffery, Jefferson to Stimson, , 19 12 1931, 816.01/26.Google Scholar

36 Stimson, to all United States Legations in Central America, 20 12 1931, 816.01/27A.Google ScholarStimson, issued a similar statement at his press conference on 23 12 1931, 816.01/50Google Scholar and New York Times, 24 December 1931.

37 Caffery, to Stimson, , 22 12 1931, 816.01 Caffery Mission/7.Google Scholar

38 Caffery, to Stimson, , 22 12 1931, 816.01 Caffery Mission/7.Google Scholar

39 Caffery, to Stimson, , 30 12 1931, 816.01 Caffery Mission/12, and 1 01 1932, 816.01 Caffery Mission/14.Google Scholar

40 Caffery, to Stimson, , 23 12 1931, 816.01 Caffery Mission/8 and 30 12 1931, 816.01 Caffery Mission/12.Google Scholar

41 Stimson, to Caffery, , 29 12 1931, 816.01 Caffery Mission/11.Google Scholar

42 Caffery, to Stimson, , 1 01 1932, 816.01 Caffery Mission/14Google Scholar, and Carr, Wilbur J. (Assistant Secretary of State) to Caffery, , 31 12 1931, 816.01 Caffery Mission/13.Google Scholar

43 While the withdrawal of Curtis was in a sense a protest against the situation in Salvador, the dispatch of Caffery to supersede him had rendered his position in San Salvador untenable, and the Department decided to withdraw him, in effect ending his career in the Foreign Service.

44 Stimson, to McCafferty, , 13 01 1932, 816.00 Revolutions/55.Google Scholar

45 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 19 01 1932, 816.01/56Google Scholar, and Stimson, to McCafferty, , 21 01 1932, 816.00/825.Google Scholar

46 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 18 01 1932, 816.00/825, and 22 01 816.00/829Google Scholar; and Castle, William (Under-Secretary of State) to McCafferty, , 23 01 1932, 816.00/829.Google Scholar

47 For reports on the revolt and the government response, McCafferty, to Stimson, , 20 01 1932, 816.00B/44Google Scholar; 21 Jan. 1932, 816.00B/45; 23 Jan 1932, 816.00 Revolutions/62; 24 Jan. 1932, 816.00 Revolutions/59; and 25 Jan. 1932, 816.00 Revolutions/70.

48 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 23 01 1932Google Scholar, 816.00 Revolutions/60 for the requests for protection; Castle, to McCafferty, , 23 01 1932Google Scholar, 816.00 Revolutions/64 and Navy Department radio orders to Special Services Squadron, 23 January 1932, 816.00 Revolutions/108 for the dispatch of the warships; and McCafferty, to Stimson, , 30 01 1932Google Scholar, 816.00 Revolutions/119 for the incident of the British landing party.

49 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 12 01 1932, 816.101/2, and 19 01 1932, 816.00/826Google Scholar for the election results; and 3 Feb. 1932, 816.01/74 for the conversation with Martínez.

50 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 20 02 1932, 816.00/850.Google Scholar

51 Memo by Baker, J. R. to Wilson, Edwin C. (Chief of the Latin American Division), 23 02 1932, 816.00/850Google Scholar, and Stimson, to McCafferty, , 27 02 1932, 816.00/850.Google Scholar

52 Stimson, to McCafferty, , 27 02 1932, 816.00/850.Google Scholar

53 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 8 03 1932, 816.01/117Google Scholar, and Stimson, to McCafferty, , 9 03 1932, 816.01/117.Google Scholar

54 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 16 03 1932, 816.01/133Google Scholar, and Stimson, to McCafferty, , 11 03 1932, 816.00/856.Google Scholar

55 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 22 03 1932, 816.11/861, 1 04 1932, 816.01/141, and 8 06 1932, 816.01/192.Google Scholar

56 Conversation memos, by Assistant Secretary of State Francis White, 2 June 1932, 816.01/209, indicating meetings with various businessmen.

57 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 19 01 1932, 816.01/51Google Scholar; Eberhardt, Charles C., José, San, to Stimson, , 2 02 1932, 816.01/78Google Scholar; and conversation memo by Francis White of a meeting with Senator King, William H., 20 02 1932, 816.01/119.Google Scholar

58 Higgins, Lawrence, Tegucigalpa, , to Stimson, , 3 06 1932, 714.16/36Google Scholar, and Eberhardt, Charles, José, San, to Stimson, , 5 02 1932, 816.01/97, 11 05 1932, 816.01/175, and 18 05 1932, 816.01/184.Google Scholar

59 Memorandum, , Wilson, Edwin C. to White, Francis, 11 06 1932, 816.00/877.Google Scholar

60 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 17 06 1932, 816.00/878.Google Scholar

61 Donald, George K., Guatemala, , to Stimson, , 18 06 1932, 816.01/202Google Scholar, and New York Times, 28 June 1932, for reports of the alleged invasion plan.

62 Wilson, to White, , 1 07 1932Google Scholar, and White, to McCafferty, , 12 07 1932, 816.00/891.Google Scholar

63 Conversation memorandum, Stimson, and Lindsay, , 2 03 1932, 816.01/115Google Scholar, and Stimson, to United States Embassy in London, 11 03 1932, 816.01/127A.Google Scholar

64 Conversation memorandum, White, and Lindsay, , 30 04 1932, 816.01/160.Google Scholar

65 McCafferty, to Stimson, , 17 09 1932, 816.01/242Google Scholar, reporting the British recognition and trade agreement; 21 Sept. 1932, 816.01/238, on the French action; and 25 Nov. 1932, 816.01/267, for the Italian action.

66 Conversation memorandum, White, and Henry, Jules (French Chargé in Washington), 11 08 1932, 816.01/228.Google Scholar

67 Daniels, Josephus, Mexico City, to Secretary of State Cordell Hull, 16 06 1933, 816.01/302Google Scholar for the Mexican mediation offer; for the Mexican press comments, Universal Grafico, 17 December 1932, Excelsior, 30 December 1932, and El Universal, 30 December 1932; and for the Argentine exchange, conversation memorandum, White, and DrEspil, Felipe A. (Argentine Ambassador in Washington), 23 09 1932, 816.01/251.Google Scholar

68 Eberhardt, , José, San, to Stimson, , 28 10 1932, 816.01/257, and 15 11 1932, 713.1311/109Google Scholar; and Whitehouse, , Guatemala, , to Stimson, , 18 11 1932, 713.1311/113, 30 11 1932, 713.1311/132, and 5 12 1932, 713.1311/134.Google Scholar

69 Eberhardt, to Stimson, , 14 12 1932, 713.1311/142Google Scholar, and McCafferty, to Stimson, , 27 12 1932, 713.1311/144.Google Scholar

70 Phillips, William (Under-Secretary of State) to Lane, Arthur Bliss, Managua, , 8 01 1934, 816.01/349Google Scholar, Lane, to Hull, , 10 01 1934, 816.01/354Google Scholar; conversation memorandum, Welles, Sumner (Assistant Secretary of State) with Recinos, Adrian (Guatemalan Minister in Washington), 17 01 1934, 816.01/414Google Scholar; and Phillips, to Whitehouse, , 15 01 1934, 816.01/355.Google Scholar

71 For the policy of Harding, see Grieb, Kenneth J., ‘The United States and the Fifth Pan American Conference’, Inter-American Review of Bibliography, 20, 2 (04–06 1970), 157–68.Google Scholar

72 Bemis, Samuel Flagg, The Latin-American Policy of the United States (New York, 1967), pp. 221–2Google Scholar, and DeConde, Alexander, Herbert Hoover's Latin-American Policy (Stanford, California, 1951), pp. 5, 17–18, 21–2, 60–1 and 81–2.Google Scholar See also Clark, J. Ruben, Memorandum on the Monroe Doctrine (Washington, 1930).Google Scholar

73 Wood, Bryce, The Making of the Good Neighbor Policy (New York, 1967), pp. 136–7Google Scholar, passim, and Bemis, , op. cit., pp. 276–84.Google Scholar