817.00/3333: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua ( Eberhardt ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 26—12:40 a.m.]
150. General Emiliano Chamorro took charge of the Loma fortress at about 4 o’clock this morning without apparent opposition. He informed me by telephone at 7 o’clock that his express purpose was to drive the Liberals from the Cabinet and to restore the Conservative Party to that power which it enjoyed before the recent “fraudulent elections.” He wishes Solorzano to remain as President and himself to be appointed Minister of War or to have complete control of arms.
Adolfo Diaz as spokesman for Chamorro, various Liberal leaders and I have been in conference with the President all morning. The Liberals are not disposed to retire from the Cabinet even under Chamorro’s threat of anarchy and revolution.
Chamorro’s armed men are firing in the streets and are said to have killed two men in front of the President’s Palace during our interview.
They threaten to take the President’s house before night and to control the entire situation by force of arms if necessary. The President continuing to vacillate has expressed the desire to rest and is inclined to break the pacts13 to prevent further bloodshed and anarchy.
The constabulary occupies precarious position being surrounded by armed Chamorristas vastly outnumbering them. The constabulary itself is inadequate. I have requested the President to furnish constabulary with machine guns and additional arms and ammunition.
I have been in communication with General Chamorro and have advised him that this Legation had no other course to pursue than to support the Constitutional Government and that any government assuming power by force would not be recognized by the Government of the United States.
- Agreements between the Conservative and Liberal Parties in the election of 1924.↩