817.00/5713: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua ( Eberhardt ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:55 p.m.]
243. My May 29, 2 p.m.6 The group which attacked the police and the revenue guards at Masaya later attacked the police station at Niquinohomo, obtaining four more rifles. They then fled southward. They are being closely followed by marines and guardia, who have already recovered 10 rifles and killed 2 men.
The facts about this raid are still obscure and all political factions are disclaiming responsibility. Several Conservative military leaders and professional gunmen are more or less implicated and the guardia are now holding Luis Zelaya and Joaquin Espana, both Conservative generals. On the other hand, three Liberals who were arrested yesterday at Granada are alleged by the Conservative authorities to have stated that they were on their way to join an expected Liberal uprising. President Diaz informs me that he regards the movement as an evidence simply of disaffection and Sandinista sentiment among the lower classes.
[Paraphrase.] We suspect very much that the raid was instigated by one or both of the factions for some political purpose. [End paraphrase.] It is notable that no resistance was made either by the police or by the revenue guard and that some members of both forces seem to have joined the assailants. General Feland regards the incident as unimportant from a military point of view and feels that its prompt suppression will have an excellent effect.
There are persistent rumors that a similar movement will occur in the near future at Leon. Several days ago there was an assault on the guardia post at Posoltega and there is a strong suspicion that the assailants were members of the revenue guard.
- Not printed.↩