817.00/5–146: Telegram
The Ambassador in Nicaragua (Warren) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 2—8:04 a.m.]
285. For Assistant Secretary Braden.
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In the last 24 hours I have been visited by Conservatives Felipe Argüello and Senator Gómez and by Congressman Altimirano Browne and Enoc Aguado, Liberals. They have emphasized their fear of the [Page 1070] Guardia and indicated that they need the assistance of the United States to avoid anarchy and bloodshed in Nicaragua. Many times in recent months Nicaraguan callers have suggested to me that the United States should assist in one way or another by what I considered to be intervention in the internal affairs of this country. I have repeatedly tried to make clear the publicly declared position of the United States. I have also tried to explain the reasons behind the position taken by the United States. These callers uniformly have listened patiently and politely but I have always felt that they went away with the conviction that we should make some concession that would assist the opposition in compelling Somoza to reach a solution of the present difficulties. Today Aguado and Altimirano inquired whether Washington would sponsor conversations between the Conservative, Independent Liberals, and Somoza so that the opposition would have the moral backing of the United States in case Somoza did not live up to any promises entered into as a result of the conversations. I again repeated the reason why I have thought the Department could not comply with such a request. However, it is certain that if the Guardia gets out of hand or bloodshed comes to Nicaragua, the US will be blamed.
In despatch 750, April 25, 1946, from Managua, it was reported that the demand of the Conservative Party for supervised elections was rejected by President Somoza in a letter dated April 15 which indicated that supervision would take place in Nicaragua only if “such a procedure were reciprocally applied as regards each other by the other American Republics,” in other words, by general agreement to cooperate in solving their respective electoral problems (817.00/4–2546).
In view of the foregoing can the Dept give me quickly a carefully worded short statement of our position drafted with the idea that I would be authorized to show it officially to the leaders of the opposition. Such a statement should be very useful in the record if there should be a revolution.