817.00 Bandit Activities, 1931/9: Telegram

The Minister in Nicaragua ( Hanna ) to the Secretary of State

14. Dr. Irias, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, returned from his special mission to El Salvador and Guatemala the day of the earthquake13 [Page 806] and consequently it was not until today that he made his report to President Moncada. His report set forth the following:

When Dr. Irias called upon the President of El Salvador the latter spontaneously and without the slightest inducement by Dr. Irias tendered his good offices to cooperate in the restoration of order in Nicaragua provided the tender would be agreeable to the Government of Nicaragua and to the Government of the United States. Later on when Sr. Irias called upon the President of Guatemala the latter made a similar tender of good offices also spontaneously and without inducement on the part of Dr. Irias and also with the understanding that the tender would be agreeable to the Government of Nicaragua and the Government of the United States. Dr. Irias then informed the President of Guatemala that the President of El Salvador had made a similar offer and had expressed his willingness to cooperate in this matter with any efforts which the President of Guatemala might take and also to use his good offices with the President of Honduras. The President of Guatemala also indicated his willingness to cooperate with the President of El Salvador.

Dr. Irias informed each of them that he considered the idea sound provided it met with the approval of the Government of the United States.

The President of El Salvador intimated that his efforts would consist in an endeavor to induce Sandino to lay down his arms through informal negotiations which could not constitute a recognition of his belligerency.14 The President of Guatemala did not give any indication of the form his assistance would take. Dr. Irias is not informed concerning the details of the plan which would be followed by those Governments but considers that this could be satisfactorily arranged if the Government of the United States is in accord with the general idea.

Dr. Irias called upon me this morning by President Moncada’s direction to give me the foregoing information and to say that President Moncada will accept the tender of good offices provided the Government of the United States is in complete accord.

Repeated to Guatemala and San Salvador.

Hanna
  1. See pp. 780 ff.
  2. For previous correspondence regarding Sandino, see Foreign Relations, 1929, vol. iii, pp. 580 ff.