817.00/7932: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua ( Lane ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:55 p.m.]
37. My telegram No. 36 of today.40 The President yesterday showed me a letter dated January 26 which he had received from Sandino stating in substance as follows: Sandino had heard that the Government had decided not to live up to the provisions of the agreement of February 2, 1933,41 but hoped this report was inexact. Sandino would be loyal to the President should the latter have trouble with the “unconstitutional” Guardia Nacional but will not give up his arms. He went so far as to say that the President would endeavor to use force if disarmament of Sandino’s forces were desired. He referred in hostile terms to the attitude of the Guardia.
[Page 527]The President said to me that the threatening tone of Sandino’s letter angered him and that he would not permit such an attitude of lack of respect which had resulted in the creation of a state within a state. He said, however, that the tactless attitude of the Guardia and particularly of General Somoza42 had aggravated the situation and that he is more concerned regarding the attitude of the Guardia than he is with respect to Sandino (my letter of February 3 to Edwin Wilson43 discusses at length the Guardia situation).
The President said that he had determined to send for Sandino to have a frank discussion with him and that he expected him here within a week.
- Not printed.↩
- Peace agreement signed by President Juan Bautista Sacasa and General Cesar Augusto Sandino; for text, see La Prensa, February 4, 1933.↩
- General Anastasio Somoza, Jefe Director of the Guardia Nacional.↩
- Letter not found in Department files. Edwin G. Wilson was Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs.↩