The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-30
Former Dictator Claims He Is
Responsible Only to His
Government, and Declares
This Country Is MisinfOrmed
ROOT HAD CONFIDENCE
OF CENTRAL AMERICA
Now the Latin Republics Are
Pulling Apart From the Bond
of Union, According to the
Fugitive From Nicaragua,
KILLING OF AMERICANS

1Iexico, City, Dec. 29.-'Mr.
Knox is not my judge. I am answer
able to my government"
Jose Santos Zelaya, who arrived
this morning from Salina Cruz, thus
replied to a question tonight as to
what attitude he would assume
should Secretary Knox seek to ex-
tradite him from this country.
zelaya refused to discuss such "a
probability, but strongly intimated
that the secretary of state would not
have the right TO request his presence
in the United States.
Il have no feeling against the Amer
ment,' he said Secretary Knox has
been systematically misinformed. and
public opinion i'm the United States
has been prepared against me, but the
real facts must become known in time,
and il is 10 time 1 trust for my vim
dication.
My relations with the preceding
American government were exceeding
~ friendly, The situation contains
many unfortunate conditions. Score
tary Root has the complete confidence
of Central America, and his policies
were drawing the people closer togeth-
afraid the attitude Of Secretary Knox
Is undoing all that work throughout
Latin-AmeriCa.'
Marines in Battle.
Zelaya said American marines were
engaged iii several recent battles in
Nicaragua and that twenty OF them
were Killed. He said:
DO YOU know that there were four
hundred Americans fighting with the
insurgents at Rama2 Do YOU know at
The battle of Colorado Junction on No
Nember I the bodies of twenty Amer
lean marines were picked up by our
forces, an dead, and all from Amer
lean gunbOats anchored I'm the river TO
protect American interests The Off
cial explanation given me was that
these men were deserJers.'
Zelaya believes the confederation of
all Central American republics will ul-
timateiy be brought about, as he says
the great masses OF the people are
to this time has been the selfish atti-
tllde of persons in power, animated by
private interests. He faNOrs cen
tral government for the new repub-
lie, rather than strong federal govern
m5nt- explaining that under a central
government the various states would
preserve their identity, having officers
10 transact such general business as
might concern the whole of Central
America and leaving each of the pres
eut republics more or less independent
and handling Its interior affairs.
Was Willing to Retire.
President Zelaya declared that on De-
cembeT 20, 1907, he had wired Wash
ington his willingness to retire from
the presidency and from politics alto
gether if a confederation of the five
Central American states could be
brought about
The immediate outlook I'm Central
America said Zelaya, lis difficult to
prophesy, The struggle between the pres
ent government and the forces of Es-
trada viii probably reach "a climax in a
short time, but so many factors enter
into the result that it would be a very
wise man indeed who could discount the
future. Estrada Cabrera is the evil gem
jus of our people-fOr we are all Central
Continued on Page Ten)