<--PREV Doc #170  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #172 Document #171; May 1, 1953 To Don Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa Series: EM, AWF, International Series The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part II: Settling into "the long pull"; May 1953 to August 1953 Chapter 3: "A time for continued vigilance"   Dear Mr. Ambassador:1 It was indeed gracious of you to tell me of the favorable reception by the Government and people of Nicaragua to my speech in the Hall of the Americas at the opening of Pan American Week.2 The thoughts expressed were truly indicative of the strong desire of the people of the United States for close and cordial relations with their neighbors in Latin America. Please convey my appreciation to the distinguished President of Nicaragua, General Anastasio Somoza, for his friendly invitation to my brother, Dr. Milton Eisenhower, to visit Nicaragua. Although his itinerary does not include a visit to the countries of Central America, I hope that it may be possible for him to arrange such a trip at some future time, even though there are no specific plans for this at present. As you know, however, Assistant Secretary Cabot has just visited Nicaragua and had the opportunity to exchange impressions with President Somoza.3 The friendship and cordial cooperation spirit which the Nicaraguan people have for the United States is greatly appreciated and readily reciprocated. All of us must join together in a productive and meaningful unity and the actions of Nicaragua provide a splendid example.4 Sincerely 1 Sevilla-Sacasa was Nicaraguan Ambassador to the United States and permanent representative at the United Nations. 2 On Eisenhower's address to the Pan American Union and his announced plans to send Milton Eisenhower on a tour of Latin America see no. 89. Ambassador Sevilla-Sacasa had written on April 21 (AWF/I) to report favorable and enthusiastic Nicaraguan response to Eisenhower's "memorable words" and officially to suggest that Milton include Nicaragua on his schedule. 3 Somoza, whom the American Ambassador in Managua described as "not a dictator in the true sense of the word," recently had requested U.S. military aid under terms of the Mutual Security Act; on May 5 Walter Bedell Smith and Sevilla-Sacasa would discuss such a grant, and an agreement would be reached on April 23, 1954 (State, Foreign Relations, 1952 - 1954, vol. IV, The American Republics, pp. 1375-78). 4 Sevilla-Sacasa also commended the President for his recent world-peace address (see no. 132): "In Nicaragua, as everywhere, your Message of Peace has been acclaimed by all the peoples, who find in your words the expressions of hope for a better future." Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Don Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa, 1 May 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 171. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/171.cfm <--PREV Doc #170  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #172

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission 1629 K Street, NW Suite 801 Washington DC 20006 Phone: 202.296.0004    Fax: 202.296.6464