817.00 Woodward Electoral Mission/92a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Nicaragua ( Hanna )
57. For your strictly confidential information and that of Admiral Woodward. Action taken by the Senate on the Navy appropriation bill makes it impossible to send additional marines to Nicaragua to supervise the elections, with the possible exception of a very minimum number of key men who could be sent before July 1. It will, therefore, be necessary to carry out the supervision with the marines now in Nicaragua and those from the Special Service Squadron. The Navy had estimated the cost for such expense items as transportation within Nicaragua and commutation for the 643 electoral personnel originally contemplated at $80,000. It is believed that, inasmuch as the electoral personnel will now be reduced below 643, these costs may also be less than $80,000.
To meet these costs it will be necessary to utilize the entire amount of $150,000 (and possibly somewhat more) which it is understood the Nicaraguan Government will be prepared to put up from the proceeds of the 1,500,000 cordoba issue which will be received from the National Bank. Assuming that in line with our original estimates the so-called Nicaraguan share of the expenses will be approximately $100,000, there would, therefore, be $50,000 available from Nicaraguan funds to meet the costs of transportation within Nicaragua and commutation for the reduced electoral personnel, plus the $10,000 which was made available to Admiral Woodward before he left Washington. The balance, if any, of these costs will have to be met by Nicaragua. Please cable revised estimates of electoral mission based on above.
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