Aug. 18, 24, 1949

August 18, 24, 1949 [T. I. A. 8. 1986]

Agreement between the United States of America and Honduras respect- July 21, 26, 1949, and ing a cooperative health and sanitation program in Honduras, amending and extending the agreement of May 5 and 8, 1942, as amended and extended. Effected by exchanges of notes signed at Tegucigalpa July 21 and 26, and August 18 and 24, 1949; entered into force August 24, 1949, operative retroactively from June 30, 1949.

The American Ambassador to the Honduran Minister for Foreign Affairs

No. 127

EXCELLENCY:

THE FOREIGN SERVICE

OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TEGUCIGALPA, D. C., July 21, 1949

I have the honor to refer to the Basic Agreement, as amended, entered into in July 1942 between the Republic of Honduras and The Institute of Inter-American Affairs, providing for the existing cooperative health and sanitation program in Honduras. I also refer to Your Excellency's note No. 4648 of June 30, 1949 ['] suggesting the consideration by our respective governments of a further extension of that Agreement.

61 Stat., Pt. 3, p. 2331.

Extension of pro

Considering the mutual benefits which both Governments are gram; contributions. deriving from the program, my Government agrees with the Government of Honduras that an extension of the program beyond its present termination date would be desirable. Accordingly, I have been advised by the Department of State in Washington that arrangements may now be made for the Institute to continue its participation in the program for a period of one year, from June 30, 1949 through June 30, 1950. It would be understood that, during this period of extension, the Institute would make a contribution of $50,000 in the currency of the United States, to the Servicio Cooperativo InterAmericano de Salud Publica, for use in carrying out project activities of the program, on condition that your Government would contribute to the Servicio for the same purpose the sum of not less than L500,000. It would also be understood that were the Honduran Government not in a position to contribute L500,000, the contribution of the Institute would be at the rate of one-fifth of the amount determined by the Honduran Government. The Institute would also be willing during the same extension period to make available funds to be administered by the Institute, and not deposited to the account of the Servicio, for payment of salaries and other expenses of the members of the Health and Sanitation field staff who are maintained by the Institute in Honduras. The amounts referred to would be in addition to the

61 Stat., Pt. 3,

sums already required under the present Basic Agreement, as amended, pp. 2331, 3114; 62 Stat., to be contributed and made available by the parties in furtherance

of the program.

1 Not printed.

Entry into force.

The Government of the United States of America will consider the present note and your reply note concurring therein as constituting an agreement between our two Governments, which shall come into force on the date of signature ['] of an agreement by the Secretary of State in charge of the Ministry of Government, Justice, Health and Welfare and a representative of The Institute of Inter-American Affairs embodying the above-mentioned technical details.

If the proposed extension on the above basis is acceptable to your Government, I would appreciate receiving an expression of Your Excellency's assurance to that effect as soon as may be possible, in order that the technical details of the extension may be worked out by the officials of the Secretary of State in charge of the Ministry of Government, Justice Health and Welfare and The Institute of InterAmerican Affairs.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest and most distinguished consideration. HERBERT S. BURSLEY

The Honduran Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador

N⚫ 362

EXCELENCIA:

SECRETARIA DE RELACIONES EXTERIORES

DE LA

REPUBLICA DE HONDURAS

TEGUCIGALPA, D.C., 26 de julio de 1949.

Tengo el honor de acusar recibo de la atenta nota N° 127 fechada el 21 del presente mes, de Vuestra Excelencia, en relación con el Acuerdo Básico enmendado, celebrado en el mes de julio de 1942 entre la República de Honduras y el Instituto de Asuntos Interamericanos, y en contestación tengo el honor de trascribirle el oficio que dice así: "MINISTERIO DE GOBERNACION, JUSTICIA, SANIDAD Y BENEFICENCIA. Tegucigalpa, D.C., Julio 26, 1949. - Of. N° 433. - Muy estimado Señor Ministro: Me permito acusarle recibo de su atento oficio fechado el 25 del mes en curso, trascribiéndome la comunicación que ha recibido de Su Excelencia el Señor Embajador Americano, que se refiere al aviso que él ha recibido del Departamento de Estado, informándole que ya pueden hacerse arreglos con el Instituto de Asuntos Interamericanos para la extensión del programa, por un año más, de junio 30 de 1949 a junio 30 de 1950, del Servicio Cooperativo Interamericano de Salud Pública para llevar a cabo los proyectos de actividades del programa, siendo entendido que la contribución de dicho Instituto, durante el período de prórroga será de --- $ 50,000.00 en moneda de los Estados Unidos, bajo la condición de que la contribu

1 Aug. 24, 1949.

ción de nuestro Gobierno para el Servicio y el mismo objeto, habrá de ser de una suma no menor de $ 500,000.00.- Se entenderá también que si nuestro Gobierno no estuviere en condiciones de contribuir con la suma anotada, entonces, la contribución del Instituto sería en una proporción de uno a cinco de la cantidad determinada por el Gobierno de Honduras.- Se ha tomado buena nota de que el Instituto está dispuesto a seguir aportando fondos para el pago de sueldos y otros gastos de los Miembros del Cuerpo de Salud y Sanidad mantenidos en Honduras por el Instituto, cuyos fondos serán administrados por el Instituto y no depositados a la orden del Servicio.- En lo que respecta a la proporción del aporte de Fondos para el desarrollo de las actividades del programa del Servicio Cooperativo, nuestro Gobierno ha expresado repetidas veces en pláticas personales que ha tenido el suscrito con algunos de los miembros del SCISP, que le sería materialmente imposible prorrogar el contrato en la proporción de uno a cinco como lo indica la nota de Su Excelencia el Señor Embajador Americano, y que ha sido resuelto por las autoridades del ramo en Washington.Nuestro actual Presupuesto General de Sanidad asigna la apropiación de L 150,000.00 para el año fiscal en curso, para el desarrollo de los proyectos con el Servicio Cooperativo; y además, con fecha 31 de enero del año en curso, por Decreto N° 44, el Congreso Nacional estableció un sobreimpuesto aduanal destinando su producto al abastecimiento de agua potable para varias poblaciones de la República, que principiaría a cobrarse desde el 1° de julio recién pasado, pero, en ese Decreto se hicieron exenciones para el cobro, tales como sobre maquinaria pesada, sobre alambre espigado para cercas, y sobre la importación de mercaderías sujetas a Tratados Comerciales como los que tenemos en vigencia con el Gobierno de El Salvador y con el Gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América.- Como consecuencia de ésto, el producto de dicha renta, calculada en el Presupuesto en L 275,000.00 al año, con promedio de L 23,000.00 mensuales, solamente dió un rendimiento de L 6,382.02 en el mes de julio retropróximo, de lo que puede deducirse que su producto total será de unos L 75,000.00 en el año en curso. - Bien pues, si a los L150,000.00 que aparecen en el Presupuesto para el desarrollo de los proyectos con el Servicio Cooperativo se agregan L 75,000.00 como producto probable de las rentas nuevamente creadas para el abastecimiento de aguas, y otros L 75,000.00 con que, posiblemente, pudieran contribuir los diferentes Distritos y Municipalidades para los trabajos que llegaran a ejecutarse, según los proyectos que se aprueben, resultaría que la contribución probable del Gobierno llegaría a L 300,000.00, lo que daría una proporción de uno a tres, si es que el Instituto de Asuntos Interamericanos aportara L 100,000.00 o su equivalente en dólares al 2 x 1 de cambio. - Pudiera resultar, naturalmente, en el decurso del año, que la renta nueva alcanzara a L 100,000.00, y que los Distritos y Municipalidades estuvieran en capacidad de contribuir hasta con otros L 100,000.00, lo que daría una proporción de uno a tres y medio entre las partes, pero eso es simplemente una probabilidad y no una seguridad para la participación del Gobierno. Si ese aumento se produjera desde luego estaría incluído en nuestro aporte. - Por todo

Ante, p. 2729.

p. 2331.

lo expuesto y en atención a razones de imposibilidad económica, sobre todo en este año, en que el presupuesto votado por el Congreso Nacional, debido al alto costo de vida en este país, tuvo un aumento de 25% a todos los sueldos de los servidores del Estado, a nuestro Gobierno le sería materialmente imposible contribuir en la proporción que menciona Su Excelencia el Señor Embajador Americano, con instrucciones del Departamento de Estado que proceden también del Instituto de Asuntos Interamericanos. - Nuestro Gobierno aprecia y agradece altamente la cooperación que le ofrece dicho Instituto por el beneficio que, para ambas partes, se deriva de dicha cooperación, y por ello es que nuestro Gobierno gustosamente hace la contrapropuesta que queda indicada. - Rogando al Señor Ministro trasmitir a Su Excelencia el Señor Embajador Americano los términos de este oficio, me suscribo con toda consideración por su muy atento y seguro servidor. (f) Julio Lozano h.- Al Señor Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Su Despacho."

Aprovecho esta oportunidad para reiterar a Vuestra Excelencia las seguridades de mi más alta y distinguida consideración,

I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency's courteous note No. 127 dated the 21st instant, in connection with the amended Basic Agreement concluded in July 1942, between the

61 Stat., Pt. 3, Republic of Honduras and the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, and in reply I have the honor to transcribe hereinbelow the following communication:

"MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, JUSTICE, SANITATION AND WELFARE. Tegucigalpa, D.C., July 26, 1949. - Communication No. 433. - Mr. Minister: I take the liberty of acknowledging receipt of your courteous communication dated the 25th instant, transcribing the note which you have received from His Excellency the American Ambassador and which refers to the advice that he has received from the Department of State, informing him that arrangements may now be made with the Institute of Inter-American Affairs for the extension of the program of the Servicio Cooperativo Interamericano de Salud Pública, for a period of one year, from June 30, 1949 through June 30, 1950, for carrying out project activities of the program, it being understood that

the contribution of the said Institute, during the period of extension, will be $50,000.00 in United States currency, on condition that our Government's contribution to the Servicio for the same purpose will be a sum not less than L. 500,000.00. It will also be understood that if our Government should not be in a position to contribute the aforesaid sum, then the Institute's contribution would be at the rate of one-fifth of the amount determined by the Honduran Government. Due note has been taken of the fact that the Institute is willing to continue making funds available for the payment of salaries and other expenses of the members of the Health and Sanitation field staff who are maintained by the Institute in Honduras, which funds will be administered by the Institute and not deposited to the account of the Servicio. With respect to the proportion of the funds to be contributed for carrying out activities of the program of the Servicio Cooperativo, our Government has stated on several occasions in personal conversations held by the undersigned with some of the members of the SCISP, that it would be impossible for it to extend the contract at the rate of one to five as indicated by the note of His Excellency the American Ambassador, which rate has been determined by the appropriate authorities in Washington. - Our present General Budget for Sanitation allocates an appropriation of L. 150,000.00 for the current fiscal year for carrying out the Servicio Cooperativo projects; and in addition, under date of January 31 of the present year, by Decree No. 44, the National Congress established an additional custom duty, assigning the proceeds therefrom to the supplying of potable water for various towns in the Republic, the collection of which duty was to begin on the first of July last, but certain exemptions therefrom were made in that Decree, such as on heavy machinery, barbed wire for fences, and imports of articles covered by commercial treaties like those which we have concluded with the Government of El Salvador and with the Government of the United States of America. As a result of this, the proceeds from such source, estimated in the Budget at L. 275,000.00 per annum, with an average of L. 23,000.00 per month, amounted only to L. 6,382.02 in July last, from which it may be deduced that its total proceeds will be about L. 75,000.00 in the current year. Thus, if to the L. 150,000.00 included in the Budget for carrying out the Servicio Cooperativo projects there is added the sum of L. 75,000.00 as the probable proceeds from the newly created source of revenue for the water supply, plus another L. 75,000.00 which might possibly be contributed by the various districts and municipalities for the works actually constructed under the projects approved, the result would be that the probable contribution of the Government would amount to L. 300,000.00, which would yield a rate of one to three if the Institute of Inter-American Affairs were to contribute L. 100,000.00 or its equivalent in dollars at the exchange rate of 2 to 1. - Of course, it might happen that in the course of the year the new revenue might reach L. 100,000.00 and that the districts and municipalities might be in a position to contribute up to another L. 100,000.00, which would yield a rate of one to three and one-half between the parties, but this is simply a probability and not a