The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-04-29
Event of the Day the Turn
Of Affairs in Nicaragua.
sHREwD MOVE OF NlcARAGuANs
Afsor the British Had Landed They
Abandoned the Town and Declared
COrintO = Closed Port.

WASHINGTON, April 27.-The events of
the day in diplomatic circles here were
the landing of the British troops at
Corinto, the abandonment of the town
by the native officials and the popula-
tion, and the shrewd move of the Mica
raguans in declaring Corinto a closed
port. The first news of the event came
in the afternoon. DIR. Guzman had
been waiting several hours at the state
department to see Secretary Gresham.
He was in fever of anxiety, and, in the
absence of news from his own govern
ment, came to learn what the depart
ment had received as to the British
movements at Corinto. He was unable
to see the secretary this morning. for
Mr.. Gresham was suffering from se-
yere toothache and was obliged to pass
some time in the dentists chair.
At noon the minister returned to his
home for luncheon, and found there two
kilograms from his government, for
warded from San Juan del Sur, the
Nicaraguan cable port, about 125 miles
south of Corinto. The first cablegram
stated that the British troops had landed
at Corinto, and that the British flag was
flying over the town, which had been
deserted by the Nicaraguan officials and
the native inhabitants. The second
scablegraIn showed that the authorities
had gone to San Juan del Sur, cutting
the wires connecting the cable port with
Coriato, so that the British forces at the
latter place could not communicate with
their home government except by send
ing a boat to the cable station. The
main body of the Nicaraguans who had
abandoned Corinto had crossed lagoon
which separates the town from the
mainland, and had strongly intrenched
themselves. This information was
promptly communicated to the state
department.
DIR. Guzmafi, who has been in ILL
health and has suffered SO from the ner-
vous strain Of the last few weeks as to
be obliged to take to his bed this after
noon, would not do SO until he had gone
through the rain to see Secretary Gresh-
am and officially communicated the
substance of his cablegrams to him.
The news, it was apparent, was not ex-
pected bs the state department, which
had never believed that the Nicaraguans
would go to the length of permitting the
occupation of Corinto in preference to
paying the indemnity. That the only
difficulty in the way of speedy settle
ment of the trouble was that arising
from the trouble experienced by the
Nicaraguan government in raising the
money hastily, and that the British ad-
mirai would be indulgent on this point
when satisfied of the disposition of the
Nicaraguans to comply with the terms
of the ultimatums otherwise had never
been doubted by the department. For
this reason the first reports of the occu-
patton of CoLinto received at the depart
ment from unofficial sources were dis
credited, and doubts expressed as to
their accuracy. The secretary had been
unable to obtain any definite inforIna-
tion from his own agents as to the action
of the British, probably for the reason
shat Mr.. Baker, our minister, is not at
present in that country, and there is nc
charge at Managua. Thereis consular
agent, at Corinto, Henry Palazio, but he
10 not American, and could scarcely be
relied upon in q matter of this kind tc
keep the department informed in the
absence of orders.
The situation at Corinto is now regard.