817.00/3025a
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Nicaragua (Ramer)
Sir: As you were informed in the Department’s instruction No. 102, of October 8, 1923,4 the Department contemplates the withdrawal of the Legation Guard from Managua after the inauguration of the new administration in January, 1925. It is believed that the withdrawal of the Marines can be effected with less danger of disorder in Nicaragua if the forthcoming elections are conducted in a manner which leaves no room for doubt that the successful candidate has the support of a real majority of the people. It is therefore desired that the Legation should exert every proper influence to bring about the holding of free and fair elections under the new electoral law. The employment of Dr. Dodds and his assistants during the registration period will doubtless materially assist the Nicaraguan authorities in conducting this part of the elections in a satisfactory manner, and the Department hopes that the Nicaraguan Government may also decide to employ electoral experts at the time of the voting itself. It feels, however, that it will also be necessary that the Legation should cooperate with the electoral experts and the Nicaraguan authorities, and it desires to receive from the Legation frequent and full reports regarding all matters connected with the election and the campaign.
Since the preparation of the reports requires a very large amount of time and would involve a careful study of the electoral law and the electoral procedure, the Department suggests that you should instruct the Secretary of the Legation, Mr. Walter C. Thurston, to devote himself exclusively to the above described work until after the elections. In order to obtain the necessary information, it would seem desirable that Mr. Thurston should be in a position to communicate directly with the officials of the Nicaraguan Government regarding matters concerned with the elections. It is desired of course that Mr. Thurston should confer with you upon all questions which may arise and should keep you fully advised of his activities.
It is desired that Mr. Thurston should also keep in close touch with Dr. Dodds and his assistants during the approaching registration period, exerting any proper influence with the Nicaraguan officials to facilitate their work. After the registration period it is desired that he should obtain the fullest information about the manner in which protests arising in connection with the registration are dealt with, and about the methods employed by the various political parties in their campaigns. It is desired that you should transmit [Page 489] his reports fully and frequently to the Department, using the telegraph where necessary, advising the Department at the same time of such recommendations as he may deem advisable regarding action to be taken to insure the holding of free and fair elections. He may make his reports to you over his own signature.
The Department desires that the Legation should use its influence in an informal and friendly manner to obtain fair treatment for all parties in the forthcoming elections. It does not desire that either you or Mr. Thurston should make formal recommendations or protests to the Nicaraguan authorities without first transmitting all of the facts in the case to the Department and obtaining its instructions.
In order that the Government may be informed of the assignment of Mr. Thurston to this work, so that it may extend to him all necessary facilities, the Department desires that you should deliver the following note to the Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“In my note of (here insert date of note transmitted in accordance with Department’s instruction of October 8) I referred to the gratification and sympathetic appreciation with which my Government had noted the steps taken by the Nicaraguan Government to assure freedom and fairness in the approaching elections, and I stated that my Government would be glad to be of assistance to the authorities of Nicaragua in procuring the services of experts to aid in the application of the new electoral law. I wish further to inform Your Excellency that my Government desires to cooperate with the Nicaraguan Government in making the work of these experts as fruitful as possible. With this end in view I have instructed the Secretary of this Legation, Mr. Walter C. Thurston, to make a careful study of the new electoral law and of the problems which may arise in its application.
“I hope that Mr. Thurston may be permitted to confer upon any questions which may arise, not only with Your Excellency and the other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also with other officials who may be more directly concerned with the conduct of the elections, in order that he may obtain all pertinent information and may be of any possible assistance in connection with the work of Dr. Dodds or in the solution of the problems which may arise after Dr. Dodds’ departure.”
A copy of this instruction has been given to Mr. Thurston for his information.
I am [etc.]