817.00/8296: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua (Lane) to the Secretary of State
96. My 95, October 3, 3 p.m. President Sacasa informed me this afternoon substantially as follows:
Last evening Somoza called on President and protested vigorously against the replacement of the Guardia commanders in Matagalpa and Rivas on the ground that they are his friends and that their substitution would mean loss of prestige to him and to the Guardia. The President took the position that if such is Somoza’s attitude, he (the President) would take “appropriate measures”. Somoza took no pains to conceal his anger although when he left the Presidential house late last night be agreed to submit today to the President the names of the officers to succeed those to be replaced.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has just informed me that he is convinced that Chamorro is engineering a coup d’état, probably with the connivance of Moncada. He said he expects the revolution to come within the next week. (He is leaving tomorrow by plane for Guatemala to visit his daughter who he states is seriously ill.)
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