715.1715/314: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua (Eberhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:45 p.m.]
89. Legation’s April 3, 3 p.m. Nicaraguan Government has furnished Legation with a copy of the following reply, dated April 2nd, from the President of Honduras to the telegram of President [Moncada?]:
“I have been considering for some time the very just motives which Your Excellency has expressed to me; I have desired still more not only to fulfill what I consider my international obligations but to strengthen the strong social, personal and political ties which have united Your Excellency to me for a long time prior to the official [position] which our respective peoples have entrusted to us. You should have absolute faith in the sincerity of those sentiments and those aspirations. Unfortunately great happenings at the moment, which wound the sovereignty of my country and the dignity of my people who have confided in me the direction of their destinies, oblige me to cordially request Your Excellency to please give urgent instructions for the regular forces of your Government to retire from our territory and avoid any invasion which may give rise to unfortunate consequences. I have given instructions to the [forces] of my Government to notify your [forces] in the sense indicated and to attack the Sandinista revolutionists if they do not give up their arms and surrender quietly. Your Excellency must be convinced with intimate and profound conviction that my Government will fulfill its international obligations and will do everything to make tangible the sympathies which within the law and the bonds of mutual respect friendly governments should have towards one another and that I regret, Excellency, both officially and personally the special reasons to which I have referred.”
The Foreign Office requests the foregoing telegram be brought to the attention of the Department in order that if the Department was willing the brigade commander be given instructions to avoid friction with the Government of Honduras.
I have discussed this matter with the brigade commander who assures me that the Honduran border is being respected by the troops engaged in combined operations under his command including the marines, guardia and volunteers.
Repeated Tegucigalpa.