The evening world., 1894-05-08
NOT 1 MONSTER In HUMAN FORM.
His Government Took Charge Of the
Mosquito Reservation Because Amer
leans Asked II To.
STOPPING SMUGGLING ANGERED THEM,
Tho General Complains Of Misrepresentation,
While Americans at Bluehelds Object
to His Letter to The World.

NEW ORLEANS. May 7.-Below is
the statement of Gen. Lacayo, the COM
missioner sent by the government of
Nicaragua to occupy the Mosquito Res
ervation. and whose presence in Blue
fields came near precipitatng In inter-
national quarrel. 1t was made to The
World correspondent while he was at
Bluefields.
Many of the Americans at Bluefields
protested against it being made public
in the United States. They said it might
influence public opinion against them,
but the representative of Nicaragua
asked The World to explain his position
to the people of the United States, SO
here Is his statement:
ITO the Editor Of The World:
Your representative promised me
when he was here that any statement
would make would be printed in The
World verbatim.
Heretofore 1 have not thought It
necessary to state the reason of Nicar-
agua's occupying the Reservation. The
Reservation would have been under the
Mosquito Government to-day, II Nicar-
aqua had not been requested by the
Americans to take charge. l have sew
eral letters In my possession from prom
inent Americans requesting Nicaragua
to intervene between them and the
Mosquito Government, claiming that the
mosquito Government had not sufficient
power to enforce its laws.
SAYS AMERICANS COMPLAINED
These complaints covered consider
able time, but did not care to act until
l had sounded all the Americans doing
business In the Reservation. The feel
Ing among them was unanimous-all
professed to feel the need of n stronper
government. Various arts OF the Mos
quito Government were complained of To
me.
AT first I did not notice these COM
plants, as I thought 1t was the usual
talk made against any Government. but
the complaints grew stronger, and even
Capt. Seat. the American Vice-C Consul
appealed to me as the representative of
the Nicaraguan Government, backing up
ms complaints by showing me his OF
or the Mosquito Government being run
ny Jamaica negroes to the detriment Of
the Americans.
, g! apprised my Government of these
Iacts. Still but little notice was taken
OF them until the war with Honduras.
heretofore we had considered the Mos
quito quito people as our friends: as they
know how many troops we should need
In Honduras, and in perfect good faith
wished to quarter troops at the Bluff for
transportation to Honduras. This we had
q perfect right to do in a country over
which we have sovereign rights. But
We had courtesy enough to notify Chief
clarence OF our intention. He returned
very insulting answer, threatening to
arrest every Nicaraguan soldier found
In Mosquito territory.
OWNED SINCE COLUMBUS'S DAY.
This was entirely too much from
country we have really owned since the
time Of Columbus. and / was notified by
our government to take such steps as l
thought necessary, which | did No
sooner had ! landed my troops than
every side. | did not mind the natives,
Is l expected resistance from them, but
certainly did expect the moral support
OF the Americans, who had been favor
when / proclaimed martial law in
strtcted my soldiers not to interfere
TWith Th the Americans. but to letthem pass
but many complaints have been made
because my soldiers halted Americans
elter nightfall, when the difference be-
twefn an American and native could
not be distinguished except by close in !
The first complaint from the Ameri-
cans cans was about the collection or customs
troll merchants In Bluefields who had
stores at other points up the Escondido
River and at various places along the
coast would run small schooners along
side the ships and take the freight with
out paying any duty and carry the goods
70 their branch stores. This open-fa ced
practice of smuggling / stopped, and
stopped for good, by making the CON
signors pay duty on the ships manifest.
This did not suit number of the mer-
chants and general complaint was the
result. / did not abate my position one
men: The consequence was that a howl
went up from these merchants but
SAID: Gentlemen. the duties are only S
per cent, and you surely would not de-
irnud the Government
An export duty OF three cents a
punch was placed on bananas, but II |
applies to Nicaragua as we'll as the
reservation. On the face of II this seems
hard tax, but when the fact is taken
into consideration that there are no
land or property taxes in the Reserva-
ton 1t is really no hardship after ALL
RECIPROCITY RESPECTED.
The complaints raised about duties |
being charged on articles which come |
under the reciprocity treaty is another
play Tor sympathy on the part OF the |
Americans The reciprocity treaty be- |
tween the United States and Nicaragua |
old not apply to the Reservation. The |