817.00 Johnson Electoral Mission/74
The Minister in Nicaragua ( Hanna ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 21.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that during Admiral Campbell’s visit to Managua last week two conferences were held in the Legation at which were present Captain Johnson, Admiral Campbell, General McDougal, Colonel Bradman and myself, together with representatives of our respective staffs, at which the principal topic discussed was the cooperation of the marines and Guardia with the electoral mission under Captain Johnson during the electoral campaign.
Captain Johnson submitted an estimate, prepared by a member of his staff who was here during the electoral supervision under the direction of Major General Frank R. McCoy, which called for an increase of approximately 800 in the combined marine and guardia forces for the protection of voting places and the surrounding regions during the periods of registration and on election day. Captain Johnson stated that he was not prepared to say that this additional strength was necessary and that he would limit his request in this matter to asking for “adequate protection”, leaving the decision as to what would constitute adequate protection to the judgement of those responsible.
After a thorough discussion of the whole subject, taking into account the change in the situation since the electoral supervision of 1928, the prevailing opinion appeared to be that adequate protection could be afforded by a much smaller increase in the military forces at present in Nicaragua. In order to arrive at a still more accurate basis for making arrangements to afford adequate protection, a committee composed of officers representing Captain Johnson, Admiral Campbell, General McDougal, and Colonel Bradman, was formed to make a thorough study of the matter.
The conference discussed the advisability of obtaining the necessary increase by landing additional marines from naval vessels shortly before election day, or by temporarily reenforcing the marine garrison in Nicaragua for the period of the elections, using such additional [Page 649] marine forces to replace the guardia and make the latter available for duty at the polling places and also using them to preserve order at the polling places and in their vicinity. I believe that the majority of opinion in this connection was that every effort should be made to furnish the necessary protection without increasing the marine force in the Republic and that marines should not be employed to preserve order at the polling places or to perform any duties which would involve the possibility of their having to arrest Nicaraguan citizens.
I deem it most undesirable to make any increase in the marine force in Nicaragua in connection with the elections, thereby running the risk of creating an impression concerning the situation here which is not warranted by the facts. It would be regrettable if the impression should get abroad that the success of an Electoral Mission depends upon a show of force by American troops. I see no sound reason for the opinion that the registrations or the elections will be accompanied by any more violence than is usually to be expected in connection with an election elsewhere, to say nothing of a pre-arranged and concerted effort to create disorder. There was very little disorder in connection with the unsupervised municipal elections last year when political feeling was intense in some places. Of course, the polling places in or near the regions where bandit outrages occur from time to time must be given special protection. Fortunately, however, there are only a few such polling places and practically all of them are now garrisoned by forces of the guardia.
The commission mentioned in paragraph 3 of this despatch has made its report recommending that the Guardia be increased by 260 men, and Captain Johnson has officially communicated this fact to President Moncada in writing with the request that the Guardia be increased by this number of men, enlisted for a period of three months. Captain Johnson informed me this morning that the President has just replied expressing his regret that the condition of the Republic’s finances makes it practically impossible for him to make the increase and that, on the contrary, his desire is to decrease the present strength of the Guardia and its cost. The present period of enlistment of the 200 additional men added to the Guardia recently to meet the danger threatened by the return of Sandino will expire towards the end of the year after the elections have been held. General McDougal is just about to begin the execution of a carefully planned drive from two directions into the bandit region with a large number of combat patrols, and he has reason to believe that it will meet with considerable success. He says that there is ample time between now and election day to plan and carry out another such drive if that appears desirable.
[Page 650]The circumstances therefore may change materially for the better between now and election day in such manner that adequate protection may be given to Captain Johnson with the present guardia forces. The Guardia has the upper hand of banditry and I will not be surprised if a part of the Guardia forces now operating against bandits may be withdrawn from the Segovias before the election and distributed over the Republic to give the adequate security desired by Captain Johnson. I deem it of importance that the Nicaraguan Government and people should be taught to look to their own police force for protection during elections and not be given the unfortunate impression that they need the protection of foreign soldiers in order to assure a free and fair election.
I believe that a further conference between Captain Johnson, General McDougal, Colonel Bradman and myself will be helpful. There are practical ways out of the difficulty which have not yet been fully discussed, and some or all of them may be adopted. Of course, ample protection must be provided against violence to all Americans as well as their Nicaraguan associates conducting the supervision but this will present no great difficulty. There is opportunity, however, for the exercise of broad discretion in determining the amount of protection that may be accorded to voters journeying to and from the voting places. All the circumstances should be carefully weighed in determining this latter point.
There are still some months before the election and I hope and expect that our combined cooperative efforts here will find a solution for this problem in that interval.
I have furnished Captain Johnson with a copy of this despatch.
Respectfully yours,