817.1051/263: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua ( Eberhardt ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:35 p.m.]
51. The guardia agreement was passed yesterday by both Houses of Congress with important amendments, the text of which will be telegraphed later to the Department. When the President gave me this information he stated he had endeavored unsuccessfully to prevent Congress from discussing the agreement further until a reply had been received from the Department as to whether it could accept the amendment to article 5. … When the agreement was about to be brought to a vote in the Lower House, after they were unsuccessful in preventing its consideration, all but three of the Chamorrista Conservatives left the chamber in the hope that there would not be a quorum, but sufficient Cuadra Pasista Conservatives remained to form the desired quorum. I suggested to the President that he withhold his executive approval today so that consideration might be given to the views of the Department requested in my telegram 49, February 18, 5 p.m., but he declined to do so for the reason that he still strongly favored the agreement with amendments.