817.812/753

The Secretary of War (Woodring) to the Secretary of State

Dear Mr. Secretary: Further reference is made to your letter of December 15, 1938, in regard to the request of the Government of Nicaragua for assistance in conducting a study of the possibility and probable cost of canalizing the San Juan River, in which you ask if the War Department could lend to Nicaragua the services of the number of engineers considered necessary to carry out such a study without cost to that Government.

It is not believed to be feasible for the War Department to furnish to the Government of Nicaragua without cost the services of engineers. However, the War Department has a great deal of data on [Page 809] the canalization of the San Juan River and these data might be sufficient to provide the Republic of Nicaragua with the information it desires. At the present time Captain R. B. Ezekiel, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, is stationed at Managua, Nicaragua, as Officer in Charge of the Hydrographic Office of the Nicaragua Canal Survey, and it is suggested that representatives of the Nicaraguan Government confer with Captain Ezekiel who will be pleased to supply all the data in his possession. The office of the Chief of Engineers will also be pleased to make available the information which it has on this subject.

Sincerely yours,

Harry S. Woodring