Convention for the Limitation of Armaments [Central America]

The Governments of the Republics of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica having signed on this date a general treaty of peace and amity, and it being their desire and interest that in the future their military policy should be guided only by the exigencies of internal order, have agreed to conclude the present convention, and to that end have named as delegates:

[Names of delegates not reproduced]

After having communicated to one another their respective full powers, which were found to be in due form, the delegates of the five Central American powers assembled in the Conference on Central American Affairs at Washington, have agreed to carry out the said proposal in the following manner:

Article I

The contracting parties having taken into consideration their relative population, area, extent of frontiers and various other factors of military importance, agree that for a period of five years from the date of the coming into force of the present convention, they shall not maintain a standing army and national guard in excess of the number of men hereinafter provided, except in case of civil war, or impending invasion by another state.

Guatemala 5,200

El Salvador 4,200

Honduras 2,500

Nicaragua 2,500

Costa Rica 2,000

General officers and officers of a lower rank of the standing army, who are necessary in accordance with the military regulations of each country, are not included in the provisions of this article, nor are those of the national guard. The police force is also not included.

Article II

As the first duty of armed forces of the Central American Governments is to preserve public order, each of the contracting parties obligates itself to establish a national guard to cooperate with the exiting armies in the preservation of order in the various districts of the country and on the frontiers, and shall immediately consider the best means for establishing it. With this end in view the Governments of the Central American States shall give consideration to the employment of suitable instructors, in order to take advantage, in this manner, of experience acquired in other countries in organizing such corps.

In no case shall the total combined force of the army and of the national guard exceed the maximum limit fixed in the preceding article, except in the cases therein provided.

Article III

The contracting parties undertake not to export or permit the exportation of arms or munitions or any other kind of military stores from one Central American country to another.

Article IV

None of the contracting parties shall have the right to possess more than ten war aircraft. Neither may any of them acquire war vessels; but armed coast guard boats shall not be considered as war vessels.

The following cases shall be considered as exceptions to this article: civil war or threatened attack by a foreign state; in such cases the right of defense shall have no other limitations than those established by existing treaties.

Article V

The contracting parties consider that the use in warfare of asphyxiating gases, poisons, or similar substances as well as analogous liquids, materials or devices, is contrary to humanitarian principles and to international law, and obligate themselves by the present convention not to use said substances in time of war.

Article VI

Six months after the coming into force of the present convention each of the contracting governments shall submit to the other Central American governments a complete report on the measures adopted by said government for the execution of this convention. Similar reports shall be submitted semi-annually, during the aforesaid period of the five years. The reports shall include the units of the army, if any, and of the national guard; and any other information which the parties shall sanction.

Article VII

The present convention shall take effect, with respect to the parties that have ratified it, from the date of its ratification by at least four of the signatory states.

Article VIII

The present convention shall remain in force until the first of January, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine, notwithstanding any prior denunciation, or any other cause. After the first of January, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine, it shall continue in force until one year after the date on which one of the parties bound thereby notifies the others of its intention to denounce it. The denunciation of this convention by any of said parties shall leave it in force for those parties which have ratified it and have not denounced it, provided that these be not less than four in number. Any of the republics of Central America which should fail to ratify this convention, shall have the right to adhere to it while it is in force.

Article IX

The exchange of ratifications of the present convention shall be made through communications addressed by the governments to the Government of Costa Rica in order that the latter may inform the other contracting states. If the Government of Costa Rica should ratify the convention, notice of said ratification shall also be communicated to the others.

Article X

The original copy of the present convention, signed by all of the delegates plenipotentiary, shall be deposited in the archives of the Pan-American Union at Washington. A copy duly certified shall be sent by the Secretary-General of the conference to each one of the governments of the contracting parties.

Signed at the city of Washington, on the seventh day of February, nineteen hundred and twenty-three.

[signatories not reproduced]

Source: Official Documents, American Journal of International Law, 17 (2) Supp, Apr 1923, pp114-117.