Page:Difficulties Between Mexico and Guatemala.djvu/49

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DOCUMENT No. V.


A brief summary of the contents of a book published by Señor Don Matías Romero, bearing the title "Refutation of the Charges made against the Citizen Matías Romero by the Government of Guatemala."

Among the principal complaints made by the Government of Guatemala to the Government of Mexico, respecting difficulties on the frontier of Soconusco, are those referring to the conduct of Mr. Matías Romero during the first two years that he resided on that frontier. These complaints were embodied in three notes, dated April 9, 12, and 14, 1875, addressed to the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs by the Guatemalan representative in Mexico, by order of General José Rufino Barrios, President of Guatemala, and printed as appendices to the "Memoir of the Mexican Foreign Office," bearing date December 4, 1875. Although the references made by the Mexican Minister to these complaints in the memoir in question were perfectly conclusive as to the degree of importance which should be attached thereto, Mr. Romero sought and obtained from the Foreign Office, under dates of July 31 and August 2, 1876, permission for the publication of an extended refutation of the Guatemalan charges, as an appendix to the Foreign Office memoir of that year.