Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, American Republics: Central and South America, Volume VII

97. Letter From the Ambassador in Nicaragua (Whelan) to the Officer in Charge of Nicaraguan Affairs (Wollam)¹

Managua, May 11, 1956.

Dear Park: I saw Somoza on the tank deal on May 9th. We wired you that he said “O.K.”. “That’s the ball game.”²

He said “I wish you would explain to the State Department that my information was that the Department would be glad to have me purchase the tanks for Israel and that I would receive ten tanks as a bonus.” I asked him if the information came from Guillermo³ and he said no, that it came from friends of Israel who were presumably quoting Israel’s official representatives. In other words, Somoza’s information was that he would be taking us “off the hook” and that we would be glad to see the tanks go to a friendly country fighting Communism, and that he would get ten tanks for free.

On May 8th I wrote you about Public Law 480. I brought this subject up in talking with Somoza and told him that we had just received a wire⁴ that Nicaragua had been turned down, but that Ambassador Sevilla Sacasa had immediately contacted the Department and was having the subject opened up for review. He said he had not heard from the Ambassador. The only thing he heard from the Ambassador was that the Ambassador thought that the international repercussions against the President and Nicaragua would be bad if he entered into the tank deal. I told him that, probably, the reason he hadn’t heard about Public Law 480 is that it takes the Department some time to clear something like that through channels. I also said that if it was possible to get Nicaragua’s request through, Guillermo would be able to handle it through Henry Holland because of the high regard the Department had for Guillermo.

Glion Curtis is writing you on the marine equipment.

Everything quiet.

Sincerely,

T.E.W.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 717.561/5–1156. Confidential; Official–Informal.
2. Telegram 253 from Managua, May 10, reads as follows: “President Somoza informed sense final paragraph Deptel 214 and has abandoned the project stating ‘OK that’s the ball game.’” (Ibid., 717.561/5–1056)
3. Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa, Nicaraguan Ambassador to the United States.
4. In telegram 204 to Managua, April 25, the Department stated in part: “Interagency Staff Committee on Agricultural Surplus Disposal rejected April 24 proposed Title I, PL 480 for Nicaragua on grounds obvious displacement commercial marketings and FYI displacement food crops by cotton. End FYI.” (Department of State, Central Files, 411.1741/4–1856)