Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-12-09
ON BRINK OF WAR
Charge 6Afairs Of Nicaragua Given
His Passports.
SOME VERY PLAIN TALK

branded ms Tyrant, and VIII b<
Held Personally Responsible 70,
the Murder Of Groce and Cannon
Two American Citizens.
Secretary of State Knox has re-
turned the passports of Felipe Rod
riguez. charge d'affaires Of the Mic
araguan legation. at Washington
! with a letter scathingly denouncine
the Zelayan administration. The let
ter Is definitely declared TO represent
the views OF President Taft. and ia
about as plain-spoken as anything
emanating from the State department;
In years.
The extraordinary feature Of the
letter is that It seems to evincs an
intention on the part OF the United
States to hold President Zelaya per-
sonally responsible for the alleged
torture and execution OF the Ameri-
cans, Cannon and Groce. and ex-
hibits the unique situation Of one
government holding the Chief Exc
cutive OF another Presidency as a
common malefactor. Zelaya is
branded as violator OF solemn in
ternational conventions, q disturber
of the national and international
peace. a tyrant whose administration
has been a blot upon the name of
| good government.
Secretary Knox virtually announc-
es the recommendation of the Mic
| araSuan revolutionists. declares II to
| De the conviction OF the United States
that the revolution represents the
sentiments Of majority OF the Mic
araguan people. and that there is
evidently no responsible Government
with which the United States can
deal. He therefore announces that
| all parties will be held sccounta BILE
for their actions as affecting the
iutercsts of Americans and tho peace
OF Central America. He further In
forms Senor Rodriguez that whiie
he has lost his diplomatic quality.
he may still serve as an unofficial"
channel of communication with the
faction which he Is regarded as rep
rcscnting.
This brings the crisis as near TO
the status OF war as II could be
brought by executive action without
| definite declaration by both houses
OF Congress, which will convene next
Monday.
knox's Letter.
Secretary Knoxs letter to Senior
Rodriguez is as follows:
Since the Washington conven-
tions of 1907, II is notorious that
| President Zelaya has almost contin-
uously kept Central America In ten
sion or turmoil, that he has repreat-
edly and fiagrantly violated the pro-
visions OF the convention. and by
a balcful influence upon Honduras.
| whose neutrality the conventions
were 10 assure, has sought to dis
credit those sacred International OBJ
legations TO the great detriment of
Costa Rica. Salvador and Guate-
mala. whose governments mean
while appear TO have been able
patiently TO strive for the loyal sup
port of the engagements 80 Eolmenly
undertaken at Washington under the
| auspices OF the United States and
| Mexico.
1T Is equally o matter of COM
| mon knowledge that under the regi-
me OF President Zelaya. republican
institutions have ceased In Nicara-
qua TO exist except in name; that
public opinion and the press have
been throttled; and that prison has
been the reward of any tendency to
real patriotism. My consideration
for you personally impels me TO
abstain from unnecessary discussion
OF the painful details OF a regime
which unfortunately has been a blot
upon the history of Nicaragua and
a discouragement to a group of re-
publics whose aspirations need only
the opportunity OF free and homes,
| government
In view OF the interest of the
| United States and of It's relations 10
the Washington conventions, appeal
against this situation has long since
been made to this government by a
majority OF the Central American
republics. There is now added the
appeal through the revolution OF q
great body OF the Nicaraguan peo.
pie
Two Americans who. this gov.
ernment is now convinced were of.
fcers connected with the revolution.
airy forces, and therefore entitled Ia
be dealt with according TO tho en-.
liShtened practice of civilized ma.
tions, have been killed by direSt or.
der of President Zolsya. Their ex
ecutlon Is said to have boon pre-
ceded by berbarous cruelties. The
consulate at Managuo is now oficial
ly reported to have been menaced
There is thus a sinister elimination
OF an administration also character
lied by cruelty to It's own citizen.
which has, until the recent outra go
found vent in tho case of this coun
try In a succession OF petty annoy
ances and indignities which many
months ago made IL impossible tt