Secret & Confidential     B-2

 

STATEMENT OF JULIO CESAR RIVAS, GIVEN the 21st. APRIL, 1928.

 

Former Agent of Sandino and now in the

National Penitentiary in Managua, Nicaragua

 

     Sandino's correspondents:  HONDURAS:  Froilan Turcios; SAN SALVADOR, Dr. José de Jesús Zamora; SONSONATE, Dr. Ramon Quesada; SANTA ANA, Alberto Garcia, merchant; TAPACHULA, CHIAPAS, José Calderón, Proprietor of Power house; CORDOBA, VERACRUZ, Francisco de la Llave, President of the Federation of Laborers; MEXICO (the Capital), Dr. Pedro José Zepeda, Carlos León, José Allen y Capitán, Leopoldo Carotti, Italian owner of vessels.  In Honduras, Serapio Hernández y Hernández, Consul of Colombia, also buys ammunition which is sent to Sandino.

 

     Rivas made four trips to Mexico, the first trip being on his own account.  He arrived there from Cuba with the intention of knowing the country.

 

     He made the second trip at the suggestion of Froilán Turcios, who only gave him $25.00 and a "plancha" (metal plate) with which he might secure funds from all the Masonic Lodges, as his was a patriotic mission.  All the Lodges responded; once in Mexico, he was taken by Dr. Zepeda to General Alvarez, Calles' Chief of Staff, who took him in his own car during the night to the Castillo de Chapultepec (Mexico's White House) where he had a conference with Calles.  The latter distrusted him, and told him so, whereby Rivas got frighten[ed], for he had seen more than 120 Mexican Generals, officers and soldiers shot.

 

     Turcios gave him 76 letters, which he delivered to the addresses; he returned 17 days after.

 

     On his third trip he was invested with power by Sandino, his credentials were delivered to him by Turcios.  Sandino is a Mason, 18 degrees, and is helped by all the Central American and Mexican Lodges, with the exception of the Managua Lodge, where they have very good people, although some of the masons write to Sandino informing him of all that goes on in the interior; but he requests that he should not be required to denounce the local Masons, as he has been helped a great deal by them.

 

     On his third trip he received 240 letters from Turcios, to be distributed on the way and in Mexico.  Calles received him very cordially, and gave him $5,000.00 Mexican Silver, 6 letters and half a dozen good shirts as a present to Sandino.  General Alvarez gave him an electric lamp (Flashlight) for Sandino, and Zepeda gave him some medicines (medical supplies).  Besides, he receive[d] 316 letters from the various Lodges of Mexico and El Salvador; and $9,600.00 Mexican silver from don Francisco de la Llave; $435.00 in gold and a letter from Guillermo Q. Quesada, Grand Master in Veracruz; $300.00 in gold and another letter from the Costarrican Consul, whose name he has forgotten.  He gave receipts for all this money.  In Puerto Mexico the Logia Egipto gave him $200.00 in gold; in Tapachula he received $3,200.00 in silver; in San Salvador $600.00 gold.  He turned all this to Turcios; everything but the shirts and the flashlight which his wife brought herself.

 

     On his fourth trip he received money from the Union Antilliana, the initials of which form the following name:  UXALIA.  The President of that society is señor Carlos Leon, whom it is said is the leader of the Venezuelan revolution, which expects help from Mexico.

 

     Calles celebrated a Treaty ad referendum with Rivas, as a representative from Sandino, the principal clauses of which stipulate the following:

 

     Mexico agrees to furnish Sandino 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition by lots so that he can maintain himself fighting until there is not an American left in Nicaragua.  When these (the Americans) leave, he (Sandino) will be furnished 5,000 armed men, 5,000 rifles, Machine guns, 10 airplanes, 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition, a battery of guns manned by engineers, and 10,000,000 Mexican pesos, in silver; once he is victorious, Mexico agrees to keep him in power.

 

     Sandino agrees not to quit fighting until he has completely driven the Americans out, not to acknowledge the Chamorro-Bryan Treaty, to sell Nicaraguan Canal stocks to all the Nations except the United States, and to reserve up to $15,000,000.00 worth of canal stocks for Mexico, not to acknowledge the Moncada-Stimson agreement, and to accept Mexican supervision.

 

     This treaty was legalized by a Notary by the name of Medardo Luna y Luarque and never got into Sandino's hands, as neither did the last correspondence, because he was compelled to destroy it and throw it in the water on Fonseca Bay when he was captured.  His wife was bringing it and destroyed it to prevent their taking it.

 

     His first trip he made as a road guide from Tegucigalpa to Cifuentes, which lies on the border.  He was guiding the following persons:  Anastacio Luna, Mario Robles and Manuel Echevarria, all Mexicans, and Calixto Garcia, a Hondureñan; Echevarria is now Sandino's Second Chief.  At Cifuentes, Sebastian Hernandez (a) el Cubano, together with Alfonso Irias, Alcalde of Jalapa, took charge of the men.

 

     Those in charge of transporting the ammunition from Tegucigalpa are the following persons:  Manuel Perez, as far as Danli; Manuel Guillen as far as Cifuentes; Jose Idiaquez receives them there and delivers them to Irias in Jalapa.  Sometimes the ammunition is taken right out of the San Francisco barracks in Tegucigalpa, late at night.

 

     General Alvarez sends (ships) ammunition from Mexico in Captain Carotti's launch La Veloz, which enters the Gulf of Fonseca and into the Hacienda El Flor, which is between El Tempisque and Ampala.

 

     Francisco Martinez Funes buys ammunition in Honduras, and Calles promised to send 10 Machine Guns on his last trip to Mexico, but does not know whether they have been sent.

 

     Sandino is well informed of what goes on in the interior of Nicaragua, and particularly (what goes on) in Managua.  The correspondence is carried by some man to Tempisque, and delivers it to a man they call El Chele Amaya, or to another they call Damas, who has a launch.  They take it to Ampala and from there it is sent by mail to Tegucigalpa addressed to Dr. Aspuru España, to Serapio Hernandez y Hernandez and to Juan B. Moncada.  Dr. German Castillo is one of those who write very frequently.

 

     Sandino received $2,000 gold in three shipments and some printed loose leaf literature, from Costa Rica.

 

     Note:  Rivas tells that he did not see the Treaty in Mexico, but while on the way, as he tore the envelope, which was made of cloth and sealed with wax.  Once he read it, he put it in another cloth envelope he obtained in Guatemala, and sealed it with wax, using a Mexican coin as a seal.

 

     He also tells, that Jose Maria Zelaya, the Alcalde, has made use of his wife, promising her her freedom, and that other friend[s] of Zelaya have done it also, that being the reason why he is disappointed with the Liberals.  That in order to abuse his wife they secured the complicity of some liberal Guardias, who allowed his wife to leave the jail at night.

 

      He weeps a great deal and appears to be very nervous; and shows some Masonic documents which proves him to be a Master in the Orient (Lodge) of Cuba.

 

 

TESTIMONY OF THE 23rd. APRIL.

 

     Santos Sequeira also carries correspondence from Tegucigalpa to Sandino.

 

     The newspaper man Beal was sent by Dr. J. Jesus Zamora and joined him in San Salvador, to be conducted to Tegucigalpa.  He turned over to Beal 138 of the letter[s] he was carrying from Mexico, and he made a package of them which he sealed with wax and an American coin and labeled them "To the American Minister".  The letters were delivered to the addresses.

 

     On his last (fourth) trip he deliver[ed] to General Horacio Portocarrero a communication from Calles, in which he was informed that he (Calles) would send 2,500 men through Cabo Falso, Honduras, in February 1929, when the American[s] leave after the elections.  These people will be placed at the order of General Portocarrero himself, and of Generals Julian Irias and Hipolito Retes, Hondurenean.  Toribio Tijerino would supervise this also.

 

     According to what Dr. Zepeda told him, another contingent of 2,500 men under the command of Rivas and General Sobalvarro will arrive through the Gulf of Fonseca.

 

     Vicente Mejia Colindres [Liberal political leader in Honduras] received a communication in which the American Minister informed him that on account of his having written a virulent article against the United States in 1911, he would not be recognized by the American Government in case he should be victorious in the elections.  For that reason he made a trip to San Pedro Sula and with Dr. Jacinto A. Meza decided to reorganize the Hondurenean Liberal party, and to send a communication to Sandino offering his help and support in consideration of Sandino's reciprocity.  Sandino accepted.

 

     Among Sandino's friends in Granada there [is] a man by the name of Torres, probably Valeriano.

 

      Among those that write to him more often, besides Dr. German Castillo, there are Juan Ramon Aviles [publisher of La Noticia, Managua], Augusto J. Caldera, Anastasio Somoza, Francisco Parajon, Jose Maria and Francisco Zelaya and J. D. Arróliga.  He observed that most of the letters are encouraging letters and informing him that he must keep on without weakening.  Few of them give any details.

 

     In Puerto Mexico, Colonel Juan P. Perdomo is Sandino's supplier of provisions.

 

     The CROM (Mexican Regional Federation of Laborers) the President of which is Payan Ocaña, helps Sandino with ¢ 25 a month contributed by every member of the organization.  The other Labor organizations of Mexico contribute with ¢ 10 cents from each member.  Rivas did not carry that money.

 

     In San Salvador, when Rivas passed through there, they had 15 cases of Springfield ammunition, but they were not decided as to whether they would send it to Sandino with Solon Lacayo or whether they would give them to Dr. Melendez.

 

     Clauses of the Treaty project which he remembers:  25% of the canal laborers will be Mexicans; 25% will be Japanese once the canal is finish[ed] each laborers is to receive 50 Hectares on the bank of the canal the Mexicans, and the Japanese in the hills.

 

     Mexico will replace any airship lost by Sandino

Hans Schmidt

Major USMC

B-2

2d Brigade of Marines

Managua Nicaragua

HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE

MANAGUA, NICARAGUA

27 April, 1928

 

My Dear Minister:

 

     In reference to my letter of 24 April, the following additional information is respectfully submitted.

 

     This information was secured from Cesar Rivas, a Sandino courier who was captured.  List of Sandino's correspondents in Honduras:  Sarapio Hernandez y Hernandez, Consul of Columbia is said to be buying ammunition which is being sent to Sandino.  Froylan Turcios frequently gives letters to agents for delivery to Sandino.  Money has been frequently turned over to Turcios which had been collected from Masonic Lodges for Sandino.  Rivas says he made a trip from Tegucigalpa to Cifuentes which lies near the border.  Among others, he was guiding Calixto Garcia of Honduras.  Those in charge of transporting ammunition from Tegucigalpa are:  Manuel Perez of Danli; Manuel Guillen to Cifuentes and Jose Idiaguez [Idiaquez] from there to Jalapa.  Sometimes the ammunition is taken right out of San Francisco barracks late at night.

 

     General Alvarez sends ammunition from Mexico which enters the Gulf of Fonseca and into the Hacienda La Flor, which is between El Tempisque and Ampala.  It has been taken in via Captain Carotti's launch La Veloz.

 

     Francisco Martinez Funes buys ammunition in Honduras.

 

     Additional names of correspondents:

 

     A man called El Chile Amaya

     "    "      "     Damas

     Dr. Aspirion Espana

     Juan B. Moncada and

     Dr. German Castillo

 

     It is requested that this information, or such parts as you deem advisable, be communicated to Mr. Maloney in connection with the mission previously outlined.

 

     With assurances of my highest regards, believe me, I am,

 

               Very sincerely yours,

LOGAN FELAND

Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps

Commanding Second Brigade

Honorable George T. Summerlin

Minister of the United States to Honduras.

Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

SWORN DECLARATION MADE BY JULIO CESAR RIVAS

 

Wednesday, 2 May, 1928

 

1.   How old are you?

 

A.  Forty-four

 

2.  Where were you born?

 

A.  Managua.

 

3.  What did you do in the last revolution?

 

A.  I was not in the country at the time, I was living in Cuba.

 

4.  As near as possible state when you first met Sandino.

 

A.  I do not know him at all, even at the present time, but I have served him quite a bit.

 

5.  Through whose influences were you brought into the services of Sandino?

 

A.  By the influences of Froilan Turcios, the poet.

 

6.  When did you leave Cuba for Central America?  (See appendix #1).

 

A.  I arrived in Bluefields just about the time when the Stimson-Moncada agreement was being settled.

 

7.  When you arrived in Bluefields, with whom were you in sympathy at that time, with Moncada, the Liberal cause, or what?

 

A.  With Dr. Sacasa -- the Liberals.

 

8.  Where you brought to Nicaragua by Sacasa?

 

A.  No, I came to serve Sacasa voluntarily.

 

9.  How long have you known him?

 

A.  That was the first time I saw him.

 

10.  Have you seen him since?

 

A.  I saw Dr. Sacasa in Guatemala on one of my trips to Mexico.

 

11.  What trip was that?

 

A.  I think it was the first one that I had been sent by Sandino.  I had made another trip before on my own accord.

 

12.  When was this first trip made when you were sent by Sandino?

 

A.  You can figure for yourself, when I came to Bluefields and met Sacasa, as I have stated before, the Moncada-Stimson affairs were going on and I didn't have time to do anything.  Immediately after that I got a job as a con-   /  p. 2  /   ductor for a railroad which lasted a month or twenty days.  (See appendix #2)  Then for a month or more I took a job as a timekeeper at the farm "El Boom" and then with the little money that I had saved I immediately after that made my first trip to Honduras and worked my way up to Mexico.  (See appendix #3)

 

13.  Was your Señora with you from the time you left Cuba and all of this time?

 

A.  No, she was remaining in San Miguel, Salvador.

 

14.  How long were you in Cuba?

 

A.  Seven years.

 

15.  All this time she was in Salvador?

 

A.  This wife was a brand new one, I was formerly married in Cuba.  My former wife is now in Cuba, and she has three children.

 

16.  How many trips did you make to Mexico?

 

A.  Four.

 

17.  Were these trips all made over the same route?

 

A.  No.

 

18.  Describe the route of the first trip?

 

A.  When I left Nicaragua and went to Honduras I devoted myself to dictating conferences on spiritualism.  (See appendixes #4,5,6,7 and 8)  In that way I got a lot of money and then I went to Guatemala to live on the Public by dictating conferences on spiritualism also, and finally the authorities put me in jail and later gave me eight days to leave the country.  Then I went to Mexico.  I always found some way to make money and then after the people found out I was a Nicaraguan the asked me about Sandino and his exploits against the Americans, and then I told them things about Sandino and in this way I made them believe that I was a messenger of Sandino going to see Calles.  Different Masonic lodges helped me with money, and they gave me a recommendation to other lodges in the country.

 

19.  How long were you in Mexico this time?

 

A.  I only remained there twenty-two days but I picked up a lot of money during my stay there and also received about 228 letters to bring back to Sandino which I turned over to Froilan Turcios.

 

20.  Describe your trip back.

 

A.  During this stay of twenty-two days in Mexico, besides getting a lot of letters from different Masonic lodges I also got letters from General Alvarez, the Chief of Staff of the Mexican Army.  I also got letters from Dr. Zepeda, a Nicaraguan, who is a sort of advisor to President Calles, and also one from Dr. Carlos León, who is the President of the Union Antilliana.   /  p. 3  /   Together with these letters I covered many of the Mexican provinces and finally crossed the border to Guatemala.  In Guatemala I spent two days during which time I kept myself locked up in the hotel as I was afraid that the authorities would get wise about my being there, and on the second day I took an automobile to Salvador.  In Salvador I arrived in a town named Santa Ana and there I went to the masonic lodge and stated I was bringing letters to Sandino and that I was out of money so they gave me 100 colones, then from there I went to Sonsonate.  There I received a bunch of letters also to take down to Sandino, (See appendices #17-19) and they also took me to the manager (a Britisher) of some railroad to see about obtaining transportation for him.  The manager was very glad to hear that I was bringing letters from Calles to Sandino.  The manager asked if Calles wouldn't send the Sanvadorans in a bunch of eggs (meaning testicles).  This caused quite a bit of laughter and jesting.  Then I proceeded to San Salvador, the capital, and with the letters of recommendation I had obtained in Sonsonate I presented myself to the editor of the "Diario Latino", don Miguel Pinto, and he gave me 50 colones.  I then went to the masonic lodge and they gave me 100 colones.  Also Dr. Ramon Quesada of Sonsonate gave me letters for Sandino.  In San Salvador Dr. J. J. Zamora gave me letters for Sandino.  From San Salvador I proceeded to La Union where I met my present wife.  I got a letter in San Salvador from H. Portocarrero for Froylan Turcios.  In La Union we both took the gasoline boat but my wife had the correspondence in her bosom, where I put it myself.  I must mention here I told her to be as late as possible so as not to be inspected and so about the time the boat was leaving she hurried out and therefore was not inspected.  We arrived at Ampala but didn't land and kept going to San Lorenzo where we landed and took an automobile to Tegucigalpa.  When we arrived in Tegucigalpa we went to the hotel Nuila.  The next day I went to see Froylan Turcios and delivered all the letters that I was bringing to Sandino.  Immediately after that my wife was taken sick and she went to the hospital where she spent twenty-two days.  After that I went to live at the hotel Union which is owned by a Nicaraguan.

 

21.  How did you register, in your own name?

 

A.  Yes, I always went under my own name.

 

22.  What time was this, do you have any idea?

 

A.  It must have been in the month of December, 1927.

 

23.  Then what did you do?

 

A.  And while my wife was in the hospital I received answers from the letters sent to Sandino and also a letter from Sandino addressed to me thanking me for my services and a letter to Calles in which I was introduced as Sandino's representative which was not sealed and by which letter I was darned near shot by Calles who distrusted me.  Sandino's signature was worth a lot of money in all of the Republics of Central America.  Everywhere I showed that signature I was to get free transportation everywhere.  After my wife came out of the hospital I took her to the hotel Union and there we spent two days together.

 

(Starting the Second trip.)   /  p. 4  /  

 

After which we started back to La Union, my wife carrying all the correspondence in her bosom.  She stayed at La Union and I went north again.  I left Tegucigalpa, the masonic lodge helped me giving me money and through the masonic lodge I got transportation in a government truck going to San Lorenzo, my wife carrying all the correspondence and Sandino's letter showing me as his representative before Calles.  After I got to La Union I left my wife there and proceeded to San Salvador.  There in San Salvador I delivered a letter of representation to Dr. J. J. Zamora.  I then passed through Sonsonate and there I presented another letter of representation to Dr. Ramon Quejada and then I passed through Santa Ana and delivered a letter of representation to Alberto Garcia the proprietor of the Hotel Internacional.  All these people to whom I presented the letters of representation were supposed to gather money for me at the time when I returned.  From Santa Ana I went right on through to Mexico and stopped at Tapachula.  There I delivered a letter of representation to don Manuel Calderon, a Spaniard, the owner of the power house and also President of the Masonic Lodge, and got some help.  From there I passed on to Vera Cruz and went to deliver a letter of representation to Guillermo Q. Carballo, grand master of the masonic lodge, from whom I obtained some help.  From Vera Cruz I passed on to Cordova, and in Cordova I saw Francisco de la Llava who is the President of the Prom [CROM], and he also helped me.  All this money I got was for myself to carry out this trip, but when I returned I was to get money from all those people for Sandino.  From there I passed to Mexico City and went to live at #90 Guatemala Street, under my own name.  I never changed my name.

 

(Thursday, 3 May, 1928.)

 

On my way to Mexico City I had to make a change at the railroad junction Santa Inoricia.  There I met a woman who accompanied me to Mexico City, her name is Margarita Tinajura.  Her husband had been a Sergeant in the Army and had been shot.  She was trying to get transportation to Mexico City and I paid it, and she stayed with me all the time I was there.  She now lives in the town of Pachuca, which is in the federal district of Mexico City.

 

24.  Give us a description of this woman.

 

A.  She is about 23 years old, medium height, and as far as her build is concerned she is really handsome but she has a very homely face.  She has a Japanese slant to her eyes.  She is from the town of Dolnom.  If she is well paid and she is approached saying that she is sent for by me she will come and give information.  She is an indian type.

 

     The next day after I arrived in Mexico City I went to see Dr. Pedro J. Zepeda.  I did not have any letter of representation to Dr. Zepeda but I had my letter given me by Sandino.  Dr. Zepeda then took me in his car to see General Alvarez, Chief of Staff of the Mexican Army.  General Alvarez made an appointment with me for 8 o'clock that same night.  After that (about 4 o'clock in the morning) I was taken to Dr. Carlos Leon, the President of the U.S.A.Y.A. or the Venezuelan revolution.  Dr. Carlos Leon tried to induce me to join his activities, the Venezuelan revolution, but Dr. Zepeda advised me not the join that union because they were not going to get any aid from the Mexican government.  At 7 o'clock that same evening I went to Dr. Zepeda's house to wait until the hour of the appointment with General Alvarez.  At eight o'clock I was taken to General Alvarez's house by Zepeda himself in his car.  After we arrived at his house we waited until the General finished his dinner and then the General took me out for a ride in his car, Dr.   /  p. 5  /   Zepeda following us in his car.  During this ride we talked on the events here in Nicaragua.  We finally ended the ride at the Castillo Chapultepec.  There General Alvarez and Dr. Zepeda took me in to meet the President.  With the President we talked things over about the events here in Nicaragua.  I had been instructed to tell the President that there were about 14,000 marines in Nicaragua and that they were about to declare a protectorate here in Nicaragua for a hundred years, and information of that kind.  All this while the President (Calles) appeared as though he couldn't trust me very much.  Then I showed him my letter of representation sent by Sandino but this letter didn't have Sandino's seal so, although the President didn't say so it could be seen that he suspected me of being a spy or hoax.  We did not do anything that night.  When we got out Dr. Zepeda told me also of the apparent suspicion of the President so I got cold feet for in those days President Calles ordered a lot of officers and some service men shot for political reasons.  The next day President Calles sent word to me instructing me to call at the President's palace and bring my letter of introduction.  I did just as I was told and left the letter with the President.  Then Dr. Zepeda told me that the President wanted to keep that letter so that he could compare it with any other letter that I might bring in the future to see that they were identical.  As I was afraid of the President or what he might do I devoted myself to trying to get help from masonic lodges so as to get out of the country as soon as possible.  After my interview with President Calles and my fear of the suspicions of the President I decided to get as much help as possible from the masonic lodges so as to enable me to leave the country.  It happened that there were two different kinds of masonic lodges in Mexico.  I first went to the La Grande Logia del Valle de Mexico.  At this lodge it was told me that as they had an American Chapter they could not allow me to discuss the Nicaraguan affairs, the activities of Sandino, nor to talk against the Americans and therefore the lodge itself could not help me but Master Mason Dr. Payan O. Caña of that same lodge and who also was the President of the Mexican Prom [CROM], told me that he was going to recommend to the Mexican Federation of Labor that each member contribute 10¢ each month to Sandino's cause.  Incidentally each member agreed to contribute 25¢ instead of 10¢ .  I also was presented to the other masonic brotherhood La Grande Logia Anagua.  From this lodge I obtained considerable help and money to leave the country as soon as possible.  (See appendix #9 and 10)   I was informed by this lodge that on my second trip to Mexico they would have sufficient money collected for Sandino.  I then left Mexico City accompanied by a Costa Rican by the name of Mario Robles Salazar who had heard one of my conferences on Sandino at one of the lodges and who had decided to accompany me to join Sandino.  I left Mexico and went right through Guatemala and stopped at San Salvador.   I left my companion Mario Robles Salazar here mixed up with some woman and after picking up some correspondence for Sandino proceeded to La Union.  There I picked up my wife and took her along with me to Honduras.  My wife carried all the correspondence in her bosom to Honduras.  We then went to Tegucigalpa and I left my wife at the hotel and went to deliver all the correspondence I had to Froylan Turcios.  In the meantime my traveling companion Mario Robles Salazar, who had followed me to Tegucigalpa and met me there, the day after my arrival went with me and I turned him over to Manuel Guillen who is the agent who takes the correspondence from Tegucigalpa to Sandino, and he no doubt guided my companion to Sandino's camp.

 

25.  What happened to this other woman while you were doing all these things?

 

A.  I only stayed a few days in Mexico but this woman stayed with me all the time I was there, and I left her there when I started on my return   /  p. 6  /   trip.  She did not do any running around with me but she knows all about my affairs.

 

26.  How many letters did you bring back with you on your second trip?

 

A.  About 194 which were turned over to Froylan Turcios in Tegucigalpa.  I only stayed in Tegucigalpa two days this time and in the meantime I saw Froylan Turcios, told him of the trouble in Mexico City and of the suspicions of President Calles, as by this time Turcios already had signed and sealed blank appointments from Sandino.  He prepared one for me (Rivas) and also one for Dr. Zepeda in Mexico City which was to be taken to him by me on my third trip and I received instructions to leave immediately on my third trip without waiting for the replies to the correspondence brought to Sandino.  On this third trip I was to collect all the money from the people for Sandino.  I took my wife along with me and left her at La Union.  From there I traveled right through to Mexico and made my first stop at Tayachula, Mexico.  There I obtained a little financial help to continue my trip.  From there I continued to Cordova where I stopped to sleep for the night.  The next day I went directly to Mexico City.  In Mexico City I went to see Dr. Zepeda, delivered Dr. Zepeda's appointment as Sandino's Agent, and got instructions from Zepeda to start collecting all the money which I was promised for Sandino.  Immediately I went to see Dr. Payan Ocaña, President of the Mexican Prom [CROM], to collect the money he had promised me.  He gave me about 4,000 pesos, Mexican.  I went to see the President of the U.S.A.Y.A., Dr. Carlos Leon, and got about 1,000 pesos.  The Great Anagua Lodge gave me 1600 Mexican pesos.  Altogether I got about 9,000 Mexican pesos in Mexico City.  I then received instructions from Dr. Zepeda to return to Tegucigalpa as soon as possible.  I then immediately proceeded to Cordova where I made my first stop on my return trip.  In Cordova I went to see Don Francisco de la Llava, the President of the Prom [CROM] there.  He turned over to me about 4,500 Mexican pesos, contributed by members of the Mexican Prom [CROM].  Then I proceeded to Vera Cruz, Mexico, where I made my next stop.  The masonic lodge gave me about $500.00.  (See appendixes #11 and 12)   From Vera Cruz I went to Rincon Antonio and there I got $90.00 from the masons (reference letter) and a letter from the Masonic Lodge introducing and recommending me to all other brotherhoods asking them to help me continue my trips.  (See appendix #13)   I then proceeded to Tapachula and the Guatemalan border, and there the Masons gave me 400 dollars.  From there I went all the way to Salvador and stopped at Santa Ana.  There I received 50 dollars and I continued to Sonsonate and I received 100 dollars from the masons.  From there I passed to San Salvador and got $400 there.  I do not remember whether I stopped to pick up my wife or not.  On one trip I remember that I did not stop to pick her up.  From there I proceeded to Honduras, via:  Ampala and San Lorenzo, and arrived in Tegucigalpa where I turned over all this money to Froylan Turcios.  By instruction of Turcios I was given $300.00 for my expenses for the next trip which I was to make immediately.  I carried this money in my brief case which was never searched.  They always searched my suit cases but not until the fourth trip did they get suspicious and search my brief case on account of my going back and forth so much.

 

(Friday, 4 May, 1928)

 

     I informed Turcios that I was not to delay, by instructions of Dr. Zepeda, but to return to Mexico City without making any other stops than the absolutely necessary ones.  (See appendix #14)   I arrived there four or five days after starting.  On this trip I went via the same route,    /  p. 7  /   through Salvador, Guatemala, and from there to Mexico.   (From Tegucigalpa to San Lorenzo, Ampala, from there on to La Union.  Then to San Salvador, the Capital of Salvador, and through Sonsonate and Santa Ana, right through Guatemala to Tapachula.  From there to Cordova and on to Mexico City.)  The day after my arrival in Mexico City I went to see Dr. Zepeda who expressed his surprise at my prompt return and informed that President Calles, after having seen my sealed and signed credentials was anxious to see me.  He (Dr. Zepeda) immediately took me to the White House and on the way there explained to me that they had prepared a treaty, between Calles and Dr. Zepeda, about what was to be done, if Sandino was victorious in return for Mexico's help.   (See appendix #15)   The treaty was alright but I was to sign it.  We arrived at the President's house.  President Calles received me very cordially and embraced me, apologizing for having suspected me on my first visit, but saying that now everything was alright.  Then he informed me that a treaty had been drawn up and he wished me to read it over and then sign it.  After I had a few drinks I proceeded to read the treaty.  When President Calles thought that I was through reading the treaty, he asked me if I thought it was alright and if I was satisfied with it.  I told him that as far as I was concerned he thought it was alright and that I was satisfied but that I had no way of knowing if General Sandino would be satisfied.  Then Dr. Zepeda put his arms around my shoulders and told me not to worry about General Sandino, to go ahead and sign it and that the rest would be fixed up alright.   So I signed it.  While I was signing it General Calles slipped me a check for 5,000 pesos and told me to go and cash it at the Banco Nacional de Mexico, to buy myself some appropriate clothes and to attend a reception which he was giving in honor of the officers from Japanese boats.  I then took a copy of the treaty and put it inside of a cloth envelope which President Calles had given me, sealed it and took it away with me to Dr. Zepeda's office where I left it until the time of my departure.  That night I attended the reception and while in the reception President Calles gave me a package containing six linen shirts requesting me to deliver them to Sandino and to send them with his compliments.  This package I left at the palace to be picked up the next morning.  The rest of the night I spent having a good time.  The next morning I called for the package with the shirts and while at the President's palace, General Alvarez, Chief of Staff of the Mexican Army, gave me a flash light and asked me to deliver it to Sandino.  Then after having a good time the rest of the day and spending considerable money I left that night with my packages, considerable correspondence for Sandino, and the treaty, and via the usual route proceeded to Tegucigalpa.  I made a stop in San Salvador and when I went to see Dr. J. J. Zamora he introduced me to Carleton Beal, an American newspaper man and requested me to take him on to Honduras, and from there direct him to Sandino's Camp whom he wanted to visit.  I took advantage of the fact that Beal was going with me to slip him all the correspondence that I had except the treaty.  This correspondence which consisted of 238 letters, I put in a large envelope which he sealed with wax, using an American coin.  He wrote on the envelope:  "For the American Minister in Honduras."  Before proceeding with my trip (see appendix) I accompanied Mr. Beal to the Cable office and there he sent a cable to "The Nation" magazine in New York, stating that all collections, and all medical supplies and cotton gathered were to be remitted to Dr. J. J. Zamora, President of the Anti-Imperialist League, in San Salvador, then I went to General H. Portocarrero.  General Portocarrero informed me that he had received a letter from General Calles in   /  p. 8  /   which he was instructed to proceed immediately to Mexico City.  General Calles was going to give him 2,500 men to land in Nicaragua through Cabo Falso, after the American troops had left Nicaragua after the general elections and also informed me that General H. Reyes and myself were going to land with 2,500 men thru Cosiguina.  But, he informed me that he was going to start right away to see about getting these men for he did not think it was necessary to wait until the Americans left Nicaragua.  Then Carlton Beal and I started on our trip.  We arrived in La Union.  I went to spend the night with my wife and Carleton Beal went to spend the night at Mr. Weston's who is the owner of the gasoline boats that travel to Fonseca.  The next day we took the boat to continue on our trip but as usual my wife arrived late so after having started they had to turn back to get her and this time a complete search as made of all our things.  Evidently they already suspected us.  They searched all my suitcases and they searched my person.  The copy of the treaty I was carrying myself they never got hold of but they did get hold of a letter which Sandino had addressed to me expressing his appreciation for services which I had performed.  This letter they were reading and while doing so I managed to hide the treaty.  Then I snatched part of the letter away from the inspectors saying that it was just a woman's letter and I tore off half of Sandino's signature.  They allowed us to proceed on our trip but when we arrived at Ampala the authorities there had a warrant for my arrest.  They did not bother my wife or Carlton Beal.  Carlton Beal proceeded to Tegucigalpa but made me a present of $20.00 when he left.  My wife chose to stay with me.  The Director of Police of Ampala, who is a brother Mason, vouched for me and requested that I be allowed to stay at his office.  The next day the authorities of Ampala received  orders for my deportation to Nicaragua.  When I heard this news I was very much afraid for I realized I was not going to fare very well here in Nicaragua.  Fearing that I was to be captured as soon as I arrived in Nicaraguan territory I destroyed the treaty which I still had in my pocket.  When we, my wife and I, arrived at Tempisque no one molested us and I felt sorry that I had destroyed the treaty and all other compromising documents and papers that I had.  In Tempisque I told my wife to return to La Union as that way she would be saved any trouble that we might encounter here in Nicaragua, but she refused insisting that she wanted to come along with me.  We arrived in Chinandega and there we spent the night at the hotel Capitolio.  In the meantime I had warned my wife that she was to be very careful what she said lest she should get us into trouble.  Incidentally I must say that she was always very careful and it was not thru her that I was captured.  We were still carrying the package of shirts and the flashlights.  I must state here that of the six shirts which General Calles had given me for Sandino I had given one to my wife's uncle in La Union and I was wearing another one myself.  The other four were in the valise with the other affects that were entrusted to me in Mexico City.  We proceeded to Managua on the train and arrived here unmolested.  In Managua we went to live at the Hotel Estrella and I devoted myself to obtaining help from the Masons here who were very kind to me; helped me a great deal.  Immediately I drew a passport to go to Honduras overland with my wife.  (See appendix 16)   I intended to go to Honduras leave my wife at Choluteca and keep going to Tegucigalpa from where I would start again on a trip to Mexico City and get another copy of the treaty.  While in Managua I never spoke to anyone about my affairs about my connection with Sandino but one day visiting at the silversmith shop where I once worked here in Managua I expressed myself very bitterly against the Americans and someone who overheard me denounced me to the American authorities.  For that reason I was appre-   /  p. 9  /  hended about 2 o'clock in the morning in the hotel Estrella and sent here to the Penitenciaria.  My wife was also apprehended.  In the meantime many of Sandino's correspondents who lived here in this city and who thought that I was bringing correspondence to them endeavored to interview me and they wanted to know where I kept my correspondence, my papers and documents.  I informed them that I left all my things in the hotel.  Upon arriving at the hotel they found that my wife was also arrested and that she had taken the valise with her.  They managed to get her out of jail one night, unknown by the jail authorities, and tried to get her to tell them where all the correspondence was.  She didn't have the correspondence but she had the shirts that had been sent to Sandino, the medical supplies and also the flashlight.  I am inclined to believe that she turned these things over to them and that these articles have already been sent to Sandino.

 

27.  Did Carleton Beal know that about this treaty which you had with you?

 

A.  No, he didn't know.

 

28.  Did he know about the two thousand some men that were coming in by Cosiguina, and the 2,500 that were coming in by the other way?

 

A.  He didn't know anything about that because on the way we only talked about Sandino and his activities, and I never did tell him any of my business.

 

29.  Did Carleton Beal show any sympathy for Sandino?

 

A.  Yes, he had much and he had a camera with which he intended to take Sandino's picture.

 

30.  Who swore out the warrant for your arrest?

 

A.  It was sworn out in La Union, I think, and then word sent ahead to have me stopped.

 

31.  Where were you when you destroyed the treaty.

 

A.  On the way from Honduras to Nicaragua.

 

32.  How many days were you in Mexico on that trip?

 

A.  About two days, I arrived there at night time, the next day I went to see Calles and also went to the reception that evening and on the following day (the second day I spent in Mexico City) in the evening I left.

 

33.  How do you explain about these passports, one dated only fifteen days later than the other?  (see appendix #14 and 16)

 

A.  The trip from Honduras to Mexico can be made in five days, I spent two days in Mexico, and then on my return trip to come through and arrive in Managua I made in eight days.

 

34.  Do you know the name of Sandino's agent in a place called Estancio?

 

A.  I do not know of any place by that name.   /  p. 10  /  

 

35.  Do you know one in the place called Esquapa?

 

A.  I do not know of any agent but I know that ammunition sent to Sandino stops there and I have only been there in peace times, but I do not know of any agent there.  (See appendix #20)

 

36.  What assistance does the Parajon outfit give Sandino in Leon?

 

A.  The only thing I know about Parajon is that he sends correspondence to Turcios in Tegucigalpa for Sandino.

 

37.  How do they send this correspondence?

 

A.  All the correspondence from here is taken by men to Tempisque and there it is turned over to a man, Chele Amaga, who owns small sailboats who takes it to Ampala and mails it to Sandino.

 

38.  Where does this boat sail from?

 

A.  Right from Tempisque.

 

39.  Did President Calles sign this treaty that you carried?

 

A.  Yes, it was signed by Calles and was sent to Sandino for consideration.

 

    (Signed)  J. C. Rivas.

Managua, Nicaragua.

 

     15 May, 1928.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this date.

(Signed)

JOHN H. PARKER

Major, G.N.,

GN-1.

RG127/198/1928-Misc

SWORN DECLARATION MADE BY ADRIANA FLORES DE RIVAS: --

Tuesday, 14 May, 1928.

1.  What is your name?
 

A.  Adriana Flores de Rivas.

 

2.  How old are you?

 

A.  Twenty-one years.

 

3.  Where were you born?

 

A.  San Salvador, the Capital of El Salvador.

 

4.  Have you ever been in Nicaragua before?

 

A.  No, this is the first time.

 

5.  What is your husband's name?

 

A.  Julio Cesar Rivas.

 

6.  When and where did you first meet him.

 

A.  I met him about the month of May, 1927, in La Union.

 

7.  When you you married to him?

 

A.  Eight or nine months ago, in the month of August.

 

8.  What was his occupation at this time?

 

A.  I have no idea but he was always traveling.

 

9.  Were you ever in Cuba with him?

 

A.  No.  His former wife, the one from whom he is divorced, lives in Cuba.

 

10.  Where did you and your husband go after you were married?

 

A.  After we were married he continued his travels leaving me in San Salvador.  He promised that he would take me to visit some of the other provinces of Central America but he never took me any further than Honduras.  In Tegucigalpa I was taken sick and afterwards he took me back to La Union.

 

11.  Where and with whom did you you stay in La Union?

 

A.  I stayed with my aunt in La Union, but sometimes I would go to San Salvador where my family lives.

 

12.  When did you first go to Mexico with your husband?

 

A.  I don't remember when it was for I was only there with him one time.  He went to the City of Mexico.  We only stayed there about ten days.  It was about three or four months after our marriage.

 

13.  Did you go directly to Mexico City or did you stop at any time along   /  p. 2  /   the road?

 

A.  We went directly making only the necessary stops.

 

14.  Do you inow how many trips your husband made to Mexico?

 

A.  I don't know how many exactly, and I don't know if he went direct or all of the way on every trip, but I think it was on the second trip he undertook that I went with him.

 

15.  How many trips did you make with him to Honduras?

 

A.  I only made one trip to Tegucigalpa with him.  I do not know how many he made as he always just left and said he would be back soon never saying where he was going.

 

16.  Describe this trip giving all the incidents.

 

A.  We went to Ampala where we stopped to have lunch at the hotel and my husband went to see the Commandante de Armas.  Then we proceeded to San Lorenzo and there we landed and went to Tegucigalpa by auto.  In Tegucigalpa we went to live at the Hotel Nuila and after I came out of the hospital we went to the Hotel Union.  I had spent about 19 days in the hospital.

 

17.  What was the object in your accompanying your husband on this trip?

 

A.  The purpose I served him was to pass through the customs house a small package which my husband gave me and which I carried in my bosom.  I was not searched this first trip but on the second they even searched where they shouldn't have searched.  The second trip they took all of my clothes off, there was a girl there who did this but a Corporal stood by and watched it.  On this trip they found some papers on my husband but I don't know anything about them.

 

18.  Relate the incidents of your trip from there on?

 

A.  We were allowed to continue to Ampala where the customs officers asked who General Julio Cesar Rivas was and my husband answered that it was he.  Then they told him they had a warrant for his arrest.  He was arrested but I was not bothered.  I stayed with him in Ampala and the American who had been accompanying my husband continued on his trip alone, but before leaving he gave my husband some money, I do not know how much.  The American had a little sealed box or package which I think was for the American Minister in Honduras and he seemed to be a correspondent for the American minister, at least I imagined he was.

 

19.  What was the American's name?

 

A.  I do not know; my husband introduced him to me but we did not carry on any conversation other than what was necessary for the formality of the introduction.

 

20.  While in Mexico City what did you do?

 

A.  The whole trip took ten days but we were only in Mexico City about two days.  I never went out with him but stayed at the Hotel.  Mexican people used to come there and see him.

 

21.  What is the name of the hotel?   /  p. 3   /

 

A.  I don't remember.

 

22.  Were any of these people that came to see him in uniform?

 

A.  No.

 

23.  Did he bring anything from Mexico with him?

 

A.  I do not know for he kept everything from me for fear I would talk.

 

24.  Were you bringing anything from Mexico among your baggage on your last trip to Honduras?

 

A.  No.

 

25.  Were there any linen shirts?

 

A.  Yes, four linen shirts.

 

26.  Anything else?

 

A.  Some jars of medicines.

 

27.  Anything else?

 

A.  An electric light.

 

28.  Do you know who these things were for?

 

A.  No.

 

29.  What did you do with these things?

 

A.  I sold the shirts to the matron, threw the medicines in the toilet, and sold the flashlight to the jailer, Pedro Diaz.

 

30.  Tell what happened in Ampala and all the rest of the way from there to Managua, and up to the present time?

 

A.  When he was arrested at Ampala he was taken to the Commandancia de Armas, then I went to see the Director of Police who is a mason and who had been introduced to me by my husband on the return trip from Tegucigalpa to La Union on the trip that I went there with him.  I told the Director about my husband having been arrested and kept at the Commandancia de Armas, so as a brother mason he spoke to the Commandante de Armas and managed to get permission to keep my husband at the office of the Director of Police instead of being locked up at the Commandancia de Armas.  The Commandante de Armas communicated with the Commandante de Armas in Tegucigalpa about my husband's case so then the Commandante de Armas in Tegucigalpa sent instrutcions to Ampala to have my husband and myself deported to Nicaragua on the first available transportation.

 

31.  Do you remember if your husband was bringing any papers when you were being deported?

 

A.  He was only bringing his masons papers and such things as that.   /  p. 4  /  

 

32.  Do you remember having seen destroying any papers or documents?

 

A.  I don't remember.

 

33.  Where did you go from there?

 

A.  We landed in Tempisque.

 

34.  Did you stop any time in Tempisque?

 

A.  No, we stayed long enough to secure animals and left Tempisque at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, arriving at Chinandega a little after 7 o'clock in the evening.  Our baggage was sent in the bull cart which makes that regular trip to and from Chinandega, and it didn't arrive until the next morning.  We arrived in Chinandega and tried to get a room in the hotel but couldn't and we went to the small boarding house by the railroad station.  We arrived there Friday, stayed there Saturday and left for Managua Sunday morning.  We arrived in Managua and went to live at the Ayala Boarding House but I didn't like the place so I asked him to get another place.  He tried to get rooms at the Hotel Lupone but couldn't so we went to live at the Hotel Estrella.  We were here in Managua about five days before we were arrested.  My husband was arrested about 1:00 a.m. Friday and I was arrested about 12 noon of the same day.  While we lived at the hotel he used to go out but I never left.  When I was arrested I was taken to the Minister's and he questioned me there.  I was sent by order of the Minister to the House of Correction for women.  While I was there I was taken out one night by Francisco Zelaya and his brother Jose Maria Zelaya, the Alcalde, and also the Matron accompanied us.  I was taken to the house of Jose Moncada but I didn't find him at home.  The reason we went there was to see if he wouldn't do anything about getting me out of jail.  There was a Liberal lady who used to communicate with me most every day about my case, bringing communication from the Salvadoran Minister and other people, but I do not know her name.  The shirts were sold to Zelaya through the Matron and I received $3.00 for the four shirts.

 

35.  Were you ever in San Miguel?

 

A.  Yes, to see my family there, but never with him.  He has never been here.

 

Adriana    X    Flores de Rivas

           Her mark

 

Witness:

Manuel M. Salguero

Managua, Nicaragua

May 15, 1928

Subscribed and sworn to before me this date.