File No. 817.00/1764.
The American Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State .
Managua , January 6, 1912 .
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department’s instruction No. 65 of November 25,1 enclosing for my information a copy of a despatch by which the Minister at Tegucigalpa communicated to the Department the substance of an interview regarding political affairs in this country which he had with General Emiliano Chamorro on September 17th last.
Since General Chamorro’s return to Nicaragua on October 31st, he has been twice to see me at the Legation where he freely discussed the political situation in this country and in the other Central American States. He reminded me that at the end of the revolution he had the arms in his power, and that he did hand them over to General Mena of his own free will, preferring not to accept the Ministry of War in order to remain at liberty to launch his candidacy for the Presidency, and that he had refrained from doing this upon the conclusion of the Dawson Agreements.2 Further, that he had declined to accept a portfolio in the Estrada administration for the same reasons. Here, however, it is to be remembered that General Chamorro came into control of the Assembly, a more powerful position, if independent, than any Ministry. He must have reckoned with this probability in view, estimating in full his popularity in the country.
He went on to say that, confiding in the American program as outlined in the Dawson Agreements, which he had always scrupulously observed, he had refrained at all times from entering into any revolutionary movement whatsoever against the present Government, in spite of the many opportunities offered him with a strong probability of success. That General Chamorro could within a few days’ notice lead a very formidable revolution I do not doubt, knowing as I do his tremendous popularity with the people of Nicaragua. Furthermore, in order to meet the budget for the coming year the Minister of War has been induced to cut his standing army down to about 1600 men only, and all other military expenditures in proportion. The Government is not in a position to withstand, unaided, even a feeble uprising. In answer to my direct inquiry as to whether he intended at any time in the future to start a revolution he replied, “Only in case the Dawson Agreements are not carried out with reference to free elections, in which case I most certainly will.”
We then discussed conditions in Guatemala, Salvador and Honduras, all of which he recently visited during his voluntary exile. * * * General Chamorro is quiet and dignified in his bearing, and extremely likable personally. His popularity is stupendous. Even the Liberals will hardly ever say a word against him, even though they may consider him their enemy. He is apparently very retiring and modest, and professes to be unambitious and willing to sacrifice personal leanings to the good of his country and party. Up to the [Page 1014] present time lie has been invariably truthful in his dealings with the Legation. Were he to be chosen under the Dawson Agreement No. 4, as the candidate for the presidency, and a free election should follow, I believe, all other things being equal, and if the other signers gave him their full support, that he would receive the presidency by an overwhelming majority. * * *
I have [etc.]
- Not printed. (File No. 812.00/1384.)↩
- For. Rel. 1911, pp. 652–653.↩