Page:Difficulties Between Mexico and Guatemala.djvu/25

 In Article X it was stipulated that, during the suspension of negotiations upon limits, the high contracting powers would religiously respect and cause to be respected the actual possession, not raising or allowing to be raised any question relative to boundary-marks, and preventing every act of hostility on the part either of the authorities or citizens of the two republics.

The commissioners met at Tapachula, November 18, 1878, and began their operations.

On the 26th of January, 1880, three engineers of the Guatemalan commission appeared in the vicinity of Cuilco Viejo, a village of Soconusco, accompanied by a number of Indians, and placed there a cross. The local authorities believed that this act was intended to advance the boundary-post of Pinabete, recognized as the limit between the two republics and situated eight leagues farther north, as had been done years before by the inhabitants of Tacaná, a village belonging to Guatemala. Under this belief they questioned the said engineers, and not receiving satisfactory explanations of the act, nor being shown any document proving their character as commissioners, the said authorities arrested them and sent them to Tapachula. There they were immediately set at liberty by the political chief, who gave them the fullest reparations. This is the only case of imprisonment of engineers which Guatemala can cite, and as to this incident that Government appeared to be satisfied. The Mexican Government then believed that the local authorities had acted erroneously, but later acts of the Government of Guatemala show that it had really been intended to change the landmarks.

III. A motive similar to the foregoing occasioned the arrest of the agents of Guatemala, to which