817.24/8

The Nicaraguan Minister ( Chamorro ) to the Secretary of State

[Translation]
C–21

Excellency: In connection with an invasion of the territory of Nicaragua from the side bordering the Republic of Honduras consisting mainly of Hondurans and a few Nicaraguans and fomented by the Government of Honduras and several of the other Governments of the Republics of Central America, according to advices I [Page 565] have received from my Government, I wish to lay before Your Excellency the following statement:

The Government of Nicaragua placing confidence in the loan contracts made sometime ago with the banking concerns of Brown Brothers and Company and J. & W. Seligman and Company of New York, with the friendly assistance of the Government of the United States, under which contracts the collection of the customs duties of the Republic was turned over to a Receiver General appointed by the Government of Nicaragua and nominated by the Government of the United States through which contracts and through the financial plan which was set up in Nicaragua in accord with the Government of the United States, for the purpose of placing its public finances upon a substantial basis and thus promoting its progress and prosperity, for which purpose its general estimates were also kept within the amounts that were indispensable for the conduct of the Government, aiming to carry out the objects that have been aimed at and relying at the same time on the declarations of the Department of State that it would not brook any armed intervention against the Government of Nicaragua that would unavoidably be attended with the consequence of throwing its budget out of balance and making it impossible to meet its obligations, for which Your Excellency’s Government stands as the friendly mediator, the Government of Nicaragua has omitted for eight years to keep its war stores on the proper footing and being at this juncture without available funds that would provide these without a very serious upset in the discharge of its obligations, my Government wishes to be supplied by Your Excellency’s Government from the stores left over from the world war and to be paid for according to such arrangements as may be agreed to, the implements that may not be in use and hereinbelow described:

  • Five thousand rifles.
  • Three million cartridges for rifles.
  • 25 machine guns.
  • 250 thousand rounds for machine guns.
  • 2 military aeroplanes, with their regulation supply of ammunition and indispensable spare parts.

The proposition once accepted, the agreement as to the mode of payment would be made and the place where the implements are needed would be stated. I may add that 500 rifles, 250 thousand cartridges, 2 machine guns and 20 thousand rounds are urgently needed at Bluefields.

I avail [etc.]

Emiliano Chamorro