Page:Difficulties Between Mexico and Guatemala.djvu/27

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the said points on the fact that there were certain assistant alcaldes appointed by the authority at Sibinal, a village of Guatemala, the undersigned showed that the appointment had been first made after the signature of the Convention which bound the two countries to respect the statu quo in regard to limits, and that consequently it only proved that Guatemala had violated her engagement. Señor Herrera confined himself to stating that he would inform his government of this note, and it has thus far remained without reply.

IV. The accusations against Mexico under this fourth heading, i.e., a general charge of continual Mexican invasions of Guatemalan territory, are not only entirely false, but inconceivably audacious. There exists a plan of Soconusco made by Don José E. Ibarra, carefully formed, as is shown by the geographical and statistical notices of that department given in the margin. On it are marked in red ink the ancient limits, and in green those which seem to be recognized in recent times. The space between the two lines marks the advances made by Guatemala, and at the end of the marginal notices the dates are specified when they were effected. These invasions have been continued recently; the archives of the Department of Foreign Affairs are full of data upon those which have occurred since 1870.

Without being, perhaps, among the most notable, one of these invasions was for the purpose of destroying the property of Don Matias Romero, as already indicated. Señor Romero, who is well known in Washington, where he represented Mexico for several years, could not, with all his characteristic moderation and prudence, prevent Guatemalan Indians, by