817.1051/397a
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Nicaragua ( Hanna )
Sir: The Department desires that you should avail yourself of an early opportunity to discuss with the Nicaraguan Government the status of the Guardia Nacional. It is considered essential that adequate provision for the financial support of this institution be made in the very near future by some arrangement through which the funds required will be placed to the credit of the commanding officer of the Guardia at stated times and in sufficient amounts. The Department desires, therefore, to receive your detailed recommendations as to the form which an arrangement for this purpose should take, giving due consideration to the existing financial commitments of the Nicaraguan Government. It would appear that adequate provision for the Guardia can only be assured by placing this institution in at least an equal position with other Departments of the Nicaraguan Government so far as the distribution of funds is concerned.
The Department has carefully considered the opinion apparently entertained by the Nicaraguan Government that the Guardia Nacional involves a disproportionately heavy expense. As the Legation has already been informed, the best information which the Department has thus far been able to obtain indicates that an efficient constabulary [Page 658] force cannot be maintained in Nicaragua with an expenditure of less than approximately one million dollars per annum. If, however, reductions in the present force can in your opinion be made without seriously handicapping the commander in chief in the maintenance of order, the Department desires of course that the size of the force and the corresponding expense should be curtailed. It would wish to be guided by the desires of the Nicaraguan Government in this matter, although it would not be disposed to concur in the reduction of the existing force to a point where its efficiency and ability to maintain order was seriously impaired, so long as American officers assume the responsibility for its direction.
The Department has noted President Moncada’s suggestion that the extra salaries now paid to American marine officers and enlisted men serving as officers in the Guardia should be reduced. It desires that you should give careful consideration to this suggestion and report your views.
The Department has also considered the suggestion discussed with you during your visit to Washington regarding the establishment of municipal police forces which would take the place of the existing Guardia forces in several Nicaraguan cities. It feels that it is essential to maintain the Guardia as the sole military and police force in Nicaragua. It does not, therefore, feel that it could concur in any plan for the establishment of local police forces under local control or recruited in a manner which would not assure their non-partisanship. It would seem very appropriate that the various municipalities should contribute toward the maintenance of adequate police protection, but it is not believed that any local police forces should be established unless they are an integral part of the Guardia and completely subject to the control of that organization.
The Department desires if possible to clear up the situation regarding the agreement for the establishment of the Guardia Nacional. In its instruction No. 519 of May 29,20 it set forth several objections to the amendments to the agreement enacted by the Nicaraguan Congress.21 It understands that these objections have never been communicated to the Nicaraguan Government and that some of them are perhaps no longer of great importance. It will be glad, therefore, to have you consider this matter and report thereon in detail, in order that the Department can determine definitely what course it will pursue with regard to the amended Guardia agreement.
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