817.00/1–1747: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Nicaragua
12. Situation set forth your recent communications has received careful consideration. Dept considers your reply to Pres Somoza accurate [Page 842] reflection of its own views.4 It is inconceivable that if Somoza is sincere in his wish to reach fair agreement with opposition meeting cannot be arranged without intervention of Emb. On other hand if approach to you is merely a political maneuver it would be even more undesirable for Emb to have anything whatsoever to do with proposal. Dept of course is most anxious to see fair elections which accurately reflect will of Nicaraguan people but as repeatedly emphasized this is a problem to be worked out by Nicaraguan people and government.
You are authorized to convey orally substance this telegram to Pres Somoza.
- In despatch 1321, January 13, 1947, Ambassador Warren had reported as follows: “I have consistently answered all inquiries about assistance from this mission in getting General Somoza and General Chamorro to come to some agreement with the statement that I can do nothing that can rightly be considered as intervening in the internal affairs of Nicaragua, and that should I receive a direct and explicit request for the good offices of the Embassy in the present situation I would have to refuse. I have always added, however, that in the event that the request is made by General Chamorro or General Somoza I would immediately inform the Department of State and ask for instructions. In doing so, I have discouraged any optimism regarding the possibilities of the Department’s giving its approval to the request.” (817.00/1–1347)↩