312.1722 Sandino/30
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Clark) of a Conversation With the Mexican Ambassador (Téllez), May 17, 1929
The Ambassador told me that Mr. Morgan had been around to see the Foreign Office with reference to a communication which our Embassy in Mexico had received regarding Sandino. (It would seem that the telegram in question was probably ours of May 8.) The Ambassador assured me that the Mexican Government was not interceding upon behalf of Sandino and were under no obligations to him, but that he had applied for asylum and just as we gave asylum to Mexican rebels, they had felt they could give asylum to Sandino.
Upon his expressing some apprehension about Sandino’s safety, I told the Ambassador that we would do what we could to prevent any injury to Sandino from the regular Nicaraguan forces and from the Guardia, but that I understood the northern part of Nicaragua was in a very disturbed condition with the result that we were not in a position to guarantee Sandino’s safety. I told him that we would, of course, request the Guardia not to injure Sandino, but that I did not know how far any request that we might make would go.
The Ambassador left with the statement that so soon as they knew that Sandino was ready to come out they would advise us in order that we might advise the proper persons. I told him that we would leave the matter in that shape.