817.00/6007: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Nicaragua (Eberhardt)
191. Your 355, October 1, 11 a.m. The Department would of course be glad to give a most sympathetic answer—without in any wise committing the new administration—to any request from the Conservative and Liberal Parties for the United States to supervise the election of 1932, and the Department is of course much gratified at the confidence shown in the American conduct of the elections so far by General Moncada in his inquiry to you in this respect.
Should you be the intermediary, however, between General Moncada and President Diaz or the Conservative candidate, the Department is fearful lest this might be misinterpreted as pressure by this Government upon the Nicaraguan Government to join General Moncada in such a request or as indicating a desire on the part of this Government to instigate the Nicaraguan authorities to request continuance of the American occupation for another 4 years. The Department presumes [Page 507] that General Moncada is on such terms with President Diaz or Señor Benard that he can approach them directly or through Nicaraguan intermediaries and not necessarily through the Legation. The Department therefore desires you, unless you see some reason to the contrary, to reply to General Moncada that, while the Department is most gratified at the confidence which he has shown in the American electoral administration and in the United States Government, and while you feel sure that it would give most sympathetic consideration to any request so made by both Parties, you feel that it would be better to take action only when the matter is presented to you by both Parties for transmission to your Government rather than acting as intermediary between the two Parties.