One of the kindest and most hospitable of men, Major Heimké, in conjunction with his charming wife, a lady of the greatest culture and artistic tastes, makes his home one of the most pleasant places for Americans and foreigners alike sojourning in San Salvador. Major and Mrs. Heimké have firmly established themselves in the regard and the esteem of the Salvadoreans; and they are undoubtedly the most popular diplomatic representatives of the United States of America who have occupied the Legation.
The Salvadorean Minister to the United States of America is Señor Federico Mejía, who is one of the most prominent men in his country, having for some time been Minister of Finance and Public Credit. Upon his introduction to his present office on April 6, 1907, he was officially received by President Roosevelt, and upon this occasion Señor Mejía said:
"Mr. President: I have the honour to place in your hands the autograph letter by which I am accredited as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Government of Salvador, near the Government of Your Excellency. I present to you at the same time the letters of recall of my distinguished predecessor, Dr. Don José Rosa Pacas.
"Nothing could be more pleasing to me than the honour of conveying to Your Excellency the expression of my Government's wish to maintain and draw closer, if that were possible, the friendly relations which happily exist between our two countries; and in the discharge of the duties of the mission which is entrusted to me, I shall spare no effort to voice faithfully the sentiments of the Salvadorean people, trusting that I shall meet, in so doing, the same cordiality and interest you have manifested in the cause of the welfare of my country, and that of the other States of Central America.
"Accept, Sir, the wishes that I make in the name of the President of Salvador, and in my own, for the prosperity and further aggrandizement of the great American nation, and for the health and personal welfare of Your Excellency."
To this friendly and well-expressed address President Roosevelt replied in equally felicitous terms as follows:
"Mr. Minister: I receive with great pleasure the cordial sentiments of friendship to which you give expression, both for your Government and for the Salvadorean people. Entertaining the most sincere wishes for the prosperity and happiness of your countrymen, and having at heart the continuation and strengthening of the good relations which have already subsisted between our two countries, I assure you of my co-operation in your aim to that end. I have no doubt that, while worthily representing the Government by which you are accredited, you will so conduct your mission as to merit and receive the sincere friendship and high regard of that of the United States. I am glad, therefore, to greet you as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Salvador to the United States. I beg that you will convey to the President of Salvador my cordial appreciation of his message of goodwill to me personally, and for the prosperity of the United States, and assure him of my earnest reciprocation of his wishes. For your own good wishes I thank you; and I trust you will find your residence with us to be most agreeable."
Side view of "El Rotulo" Bridge.
The National Road leading to La Libertad, showing "El Rotulo" Bridge.
On December 20, 1907, the Central American Peace Conference, held in Washington, concluded a Convention providing for meetings of Central American Conferences to be convened on January 1 of each year for a period of five years, with the object of agreeing upon the most efficient and proper means of bringing uniformity into the economical and fiscal interests of the Central American States. The Peace Conference designated Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as the place of the first meeting of the Central American Conference, and prescribed that the Conference should choose the place for holding the next Conference, and so on successively until the expiration of the Convention concerning future Central American Conferences.