817.00/7–944: Telegram
The Ambassador in Nicaragua (Stewart) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 103—1:03 a.m.]
435. Department’s 296, July 8. A small group carrying a large American flag was stationed in the street in front of the Embassy on July 4 as the military parade came down from the Loma parade ground. Just as the cavalry approached, the group sought to prevent its access to the street in front of the offices by placing the flag across the line of march. The cavalry carefully avoided touching the flag and circumvented it but Colonel d’Arbelles, who was in charge of the arrangements, sent a plain clothes guard to obtain possession of the flag so that the crowd headed by President Somoza could proceed. The officer obtained possession of the flag after a short scuffle during which, however, it was never permitted to touch the ground. He [handed] the flag over [to] the Acting Military Attaché8 standing in the Embassy entrance, who later burned it.
There were many American flags [in?] the demonstration. The streets were draped with Nicaraguan and American flags. The bearers of the flag in question intended no insult to the United States but they were oppositionists and hoped to provoke an incident which they failed to do. Embassy officers who were eye witnesses of the affair saw no reason to take umbrage particularly since the Government took immediate steps to remove the flag from the hands of the hotheads.
I had not contemplated any comment. Foreign Secretary Argüello, however, called on me the next afternoon at the insistence of the President to suggest that I make a statement urging no unauthorized use of the American flag. After full consideration I told the Foreign Minister the next day that I thought it would be a mistake from the standpoint of both the Nicaraguan Government and of the Embassy to give publicity to the incident because it would only invite further use of the flag by the opposition, not only in Managua but in other cities. I felt that such a statement would be used by the President to endeavor to convince the public of our support in the present unrest. I told the Foreign Minister that such a statement, moreover, would be likely, in my opinion, to put ideas into the heads of the opposition who would continue to use our flag to provoke incidents. President Somoza spoke to me about this yesterday implying that he expected some comment from the Embassy. I repeated to him my position in the matter. It has been evident that the President has been seeking any straw in the wind which would indicate to the public our support in these troublous times. I have been most careful not to provide this.
- Maj. Frederick B. Judson.↩