715.1715/402: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua (Hanna) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:46 p.m.]
167. Department’s 135, December 5, 5 p.m. When I called upon the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning concerning other matters, he told me he had conferred with President Moncada as promised in his previous conversation with me (reported upon in my telegram No. 163, November 29, 1 p.m.) and that President Moncada had authorized him to inform me that this Government is prepared to sign the protocol in Managua at the end of this month and that the Department may so inform the Government of Honduras to the end that the Government of Honduras may appoint its representative [Page 377] and have him proceed to Managua with powers to sign the protocol. I told the Minister for Foreign Affairs I would advise you immediately by cable of the President’s decision in this matter and he concurred.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that he personally thinks that publicity in this matter should be delayed as long as possible and that in his opinion this Government will maintain secrecy in this matter until the protocol is actually signed unless it is forced to make some statement to meet reports originating here or elsewhere concerning the negotiations. He said he thought it desirable to make every effort to avoid arousing opposition in the interval before the protocol is signed. I told him I would so advise you. President Moncada is absent from Managua and is not expected to return until December 8, his birthday. I will confer with him at the earliest practical moment thereafter; but, in view of the foregoing, I assume the Department will wish me to modify appropriately the instruction given in its telegram 135, December 5, 5 p.m.
I will repeat this telegram to Tegucigalpa, but I assume the Department will give the American Legation there appropriate instruction in the matter. With reference to the Department’s No. 84, December 5, 6 p.m., to Tegucigalpa,1 I suggest that Major Geyer’s proposed visit to Managua be postponed pending developments.
- Not printed.↩