Office of the Historian

810.20 Defense/171½

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Nicaragua (Nicholson)
No. 443
Washington, September 26, 1940.

Sir: The Department has received your despatch no. 1196 of August 30, 1940 transmitting an autographed letter8 from the President of Nicaragua requesting the assistance of the Government of the United States in regard to certain matters which he believes will contribute substantially to the defense of Nicaragua.

[Page 150]

You are requested, in acknowledging receipt of this letter directly to President Somoza, to inform him that copies of his letter have been transmitted to the appropriate authorities of this Government for their consideration, but that this Government will be unable to make any definite reply to his requests until it has had an opportunity to examine and consider the requests for assistance along similar lines now being received from the governments of the other American republics.

You should assure the President, however, that full and sympathetic consideration will be given at the earliest practicable date to all of his requests.9

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:
Sumner Welles
  1. Neither printed.↩
  2. On September 5, 1941, the Minister in Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan Legation were notified that as a result of President Somoza’s request the Navy Department was prepared to sell to Nicaragua one one-pounder gun and sixty rounds of ammunition.↩