The San Francisco call., 1909-12-02
DICTATOR IS FLAYED
BY SECRETARY KNOX
Branded a Tyrant and Is Called
a Blot on the Name OF
Good Government
REVOLUTIONISTS ARE
VIRTUALLY RECOGNIZED

| M retary of State Knox late to-
day returned the passports of
Felipe Rodriguez. charge d'afaires of
the Nicaraguan legation, with letter
scathingly denouncing the Zclayan
administration of the government of
Nicaragua. The letter is definitely
declared to represent the views of
President Taft and is about as plain
spoken as anything emanating from
the state department in many years.
Holds ZeIaya Responsible
The extraordinary feature of the
letter is that it seems to evidence 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 exhibits
the unique situation of one govern
ment holding the chief executive of
another practically as a common nnali-
factor.
Zelaya is branded as violator OF
solemn international conventions,
disturber of the national and interna-
tionaI peace, and a tyrant whose adj
ministration has been blot upon the
name of good government.
| Secretary Knox virtually announces
the recognition of the Niearaguan
| revoluti0nists. declares it to be the
| conviction of the United States that
the revolution represents the senti-
ments of a majority OF the Nicaraguan
people and that there is evidently no
responsible government with which
the United States can deal. He there
fore announces that all parties Will be
held accountable for their actions as
affecting the interests of Americans
and the peace of Central America
! He further informs Senior Rodriguez
that while he has lost his diplomatic
| quality he may still serve as an ''un-
| official" channel of communication with
the faction which he is regarded as
| representing
On Verge of War
This brings the crisis as near to the
! status Of war as it could be brought
by executive action without definite
declaration by congress. which will
convene Monday. Knox's letter in all
but 80 many words makes it plain
that the action represents the wish
and attitude of all the Central Ameri-
can states with the single exception
of Honduras. which is regarded here
as entirely dominated by zeIaya- Mex
leo has it's sympathy with the United
! states in this matter.
Just what status consular representa-
tives of the United States in Nicaragua
now enjoy is not definitely explained
today.
1t is expected. however, that Vice
Consul Caldera, who has been occu-
pying the legation in Managua. and
other eonsuls in that country will be
given their passports tomorrow. This
is the usual method of procedure.
Text of Knox's Letter
/ Following is the text of Secretary
Knox's letter to Senior Rodriguez:
Department of state, Washington,
/ Dec. 1. 1909.
Sir: Since the washington con-
1 .VenJlOn OF lSV4 IL - uOlOElOUS tudC
President ZeIaya has almost con-
j tinuously kept Central America in
| tension or turmoil; that he has re-
peatedly and fagrantly violated the
provisions of the convention. and.
! by baneful influence on Honduras.
whose neutrality the conventions
We're to assure. has sought to dis
credit these sacred international
obligations to the great detriment
of Costa Rica, Salvador and Guate-
mala. whose governments mean
while appear to have been able pa
tfently to strive for the loyal sup
port of the engagements so SOL
emnly undertaken at Washington
under the auspices of the United
States and Mexico
1t is equally matter of common
knowledge that under the regime
of President Zelaya republican In
/ stitutions have ceased to exist in
/ Nicaragua. except in name; that
| public opinion and the press have
been throttled. and prison has been
the reward of any tendency to real
! patriotism. My consideration for
you personally impels me 70 abb
/ stain from unnecessary discussion
Of the painful details Of , regime