The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-02
Returns Passports Of Mica
raguan Charge D'AffaireS
WITH SCATHING LETTER
zeIayan Administration in Central Amer,
lean Republic Is Denounced United
States Sending Ships to That
Country.

Washington, D. G., Dec. 2.--secretary
Of State Knox late yesterday returned
the passports Of Felipe Rodriguez, charge
d'affaires of the Nicaraguan legation,
with letter scathingly denouncing the
zslayan administration Of the govern
ment Of Nicaragua. The letter il def
nitely declared to represent the views Of
President Taft, and Is about as plain
spoken as anything emanating from the
state department in many years
The letter apparently indicates de-
termination on the part Of the United
States TO hold President Zelaya person
ally responsible for the alleged torture
and execution Of the Americans, Cannon
and Grace, and exhibits the unique situa-
tion Of one government holding the chief
executive Of another practically as
common malefactor Zelaya is branded
as violator Of solemn international con.
ventions, disturber Of the national and
international peace, tyrant whose ad.
miniStration has been blot upon the
name Of good government
SecretarT Knox virtually announces
the recognition of the Nicaragua revolu-
tionists, declares It to be the conviction
of the United States that the revolution
represents the sentiments Of majority
OF the Nicaraguan 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 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 hts diplomatic quality.
he may still serve as an 'unoficial''
channel Of communication with the fac
tion with which he is regarded as repre-.
senting.
This brings the crisis as near to the
status Of war as 1t could be brought by
executive action, without definite dec
laration by both houses Of Congress,
which will convene next Monday.
Diaz Advised Step.
AS Secretary Knox said in his letter,
he other Central American republics
hye protested in vain against the exist. |
hea Of the conditions III Nicaragua. bur
y state department has felt 10th to
! iil~te its old traditions Of non-interfer-
efce, and probably would have refrained I
even now, had not zelaya tortured and (
killed two Americans engaged in honor
able warfare. In answer to the depart 4
ment's demand for an explanation his I
agents simply stated that the executions \
were in accordance with the law Of Mica. T
ragua. But the state department finds (
Tint the law is Zelaya. and that the ae.
tion was in violation of all the rules Of (
civilized warfare. It Is believed that
President Diaz was a deciding factor in 4
this matter and that X was owing to 4
straightforward and energetic declaration
by him OF the guilt Of ZeIaya and the
pecessity for intervention, that was re-
ceived in Washington within the last "a
hours that the state department reached
It's decision
Terrible Internal Conditions.
Secretary Knox's reference in the LET
tef to the Washington agreement Of two
years ago relates to tha meeting brought
about by Elihu Root Of the representa-
lives Of all the Central American repuh-
les, which were then on The point of
renerat warfare. because. It was alleged
# the overweening ambitions of Presi-
lent Zelaya to become the dictator Of II
Central America. They met here and
Tare induced to enter into solemn n
II snsct to refrain from exploitation of II
he territories Of one another and to
lbserve Che rules Of civilized intercourse.
Especially were they pledged to submit
Q arbitration any differences that might
rise between them. The integrity of
Honduras was guaranteed.
Now, Secretary Knox practically
harges that each Of these stipulations
vas violated by President Zelava He
las dominated Honduras. whose presi-
lent IL declared TO be only his mouth.
'iece and Zelaya has not hesitated to
iiolate the laws Of neutrality BY sending !
~ troops into Salvador and Costa Rica.
{ was we'll understood, though never
educed to the form Of trsatv. that
lot only the United States but Mexico
would undertake 10 see that the provf- ]
ions Of this treaty were effective. Tie III
Internal conditions in Nicaraaua. al re-.
'ealed by consular reports. have never (
'een told to the public, because of the I
nora turpitude involved A condition +
1 absolute despctism has existed in
Nicaragua, with such accompaniments a.
apine, murder. extortion and barbarous +
reatment Of political prisoners. as has /
cen unknown since the period of me- \
iaeval Europe