base64 libraries at compile time

[Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>]

Downloaded unpacked nnimap-0.131.tar.gz at /usr/local

Following the simple instructions in the online manual: 
http://www.extundo.com/nnimap/nnimap.html#SEC3

o $ cd nnimap-0.123
o $ make GNUSDIR=~/elisp/pgnus-0.88/lisp EMACS=xemacs

I've cd'd to /usr/local/nnimap-0.131 and ran the command

make GNUSDIR=/usr/local/pgnus-0.97/lisp  <= where pgnus lives

But get this error (filled):

[s]root:/usr/local/nnimap-0.131# make 
GNUSDIR=/usr/local/pgnus-097/lisp emacs -batch -q -no-site-file
-no-init-file -eval '(if (not (string-match
"/usr/local/pgnus-097/lisp" "")) (setq load-path (cons
"/usr/local/pgnus-097/lisp" load-path)))' -l base64 -f
batch-byte-compile ssl.el Cannot open load file: base64 
make: ***[ssl.elc] Error 255

checking the lisp directory:

ls -l /usr/local/pgnus-0.97/lisp/base*(owner and group were root.root):
-rw-rw-r--[...] 9623 Nov 11 10:29 /usr/local/pgnus-0.97/lisp/base64.el 
-rw-rw-r--[...] 6862 Nov 11 10:29 /usr/local/pgnus-0.97/lisp/base64.elc 

Apparently this is preventing *any* *.elc files from being compiled.

A further note:  Doing M-x load-library <RET> base64 <RET> loads the
library in a running gnus.