817.00/5966
The Minister in Nicaragua (Eberhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 7.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy and translation of a decree issued by the Nicaraguan Government on August 9th19 granting full and unconditional amnesty to all bandits who may surrender voluntarily to the authorities before September 15th of this year. This decree has been given extensive publicity throughout the Republic and many copies and leaflets relating to it have been dropped from airplanes in the northern sections of the country.
During the past few weeks, taking advantage of this proclamation and of earlier promises of amnesty, more than 1200 persons have registered with the authorities in Nueva Segovia as former bandits. A few of these appear to have been active members of Sandino’s forces. Many of the others were members of an extensive organization created by the Liberal leader, José Leon Diaz, to resist aggression on the part of the authorities and the Conservative bandits some of whom were apparently operating with the connivance of the authorities. Diaz himself with his immediate followers apparently operated at times in connection with Sandino, but it is doubtful whether he ever fully admitted Sandino’s authority. Very few of those who registered have surrendered any weapons. I do not believe that any large number of them were ever actively engaged in acts of real banditry, but the fact that they have renounced their connection with outlaw organizations indicates the great improvement which has taken place in Nueva [Page 586] Segovia. The Conservative bandits Hernandez and Torres are now in the penitentiary at Managua, whereas José Leon Diaz is hiding in the North and has been inactive for several months.
The Legation has recently received from the Chief of the Guardia Nacional an interesting report regarding the operations of a mobile patrol of Guardia which visited several points in the former bandit country around San Juan de Telpaneca during July. The patrol leader reported that the inhabitants of this region were still somewhat demoralized and terrorized and that it would be difficult to persuade them to till their fields and thus restore normal economic conditions until their confidence in the re-establishment of order was more complete. The people seemed well-disposed and friendly, however, and the Guardia Commander was able to organize several large groups of vigilantes who promised to cooperate with the Guardia and the Marines by furnishing information regarding bandit activities by acting as guides and scouts and by disseminating propaganda.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩