The Washington times., 1909-11-20

Declaring that the act was unprere-
dented and that Nicaraguans themselves
had denounced it as "uuwarrantable
savagery." the American consulate at
Managua today confirmed to the State
Department the reports that lie Roy
Cannon and Leonard Groce, two Ame-i-
cans. had been summarily executed upon
orders of President ZeIaya. of Nicar-
aqua.
simultaneously there arrived at the
state Department cabled protest
signed by Nicaraguans. now at Panama
asking the Uni.ed states TO HyInpathiztr
/ with "tne oppressed people of Nicar-
aqua" and describing the conditions IN
the Central American republic as being
horrible.
No Announcement Made.
! Officials of the state Department. be-
yond giving out the two dispatches. say
no announcement can be ma 'l2is
time as TO the next course = try
will pursue, particularly wiz. .=rence
to the execution OF Cannon ano Groce-
That the situation is a critical one will
not be denied In any quarter.
To Is not improbable that the sever
ance of all diplomatic relations between
the two countries may follow immCdi-
ately and that the charge d 'affaiTes nd
/ DR. Hazera. the Nicaraguan minister
designate 10 this coun ery. whose recCg-
milton has been indefinitely postponed,
may be requested to return TO their own
country.
/ The two United States warships, the
Des Moiues and Nicksburg. are thought
to have reached the Nicaraguan coast
today. although no word as yet has
I been received from them
The unusual promptness with which
President Zelaya furnished the informa-
tion demanded Of him by the state De
partmeut is a significant feature Of the
pending crisis
The reply which was received this
morning through Vice Consul Henry
CaIdera. stationed at Managua, Is as
, follows:
The teIegraphic instruction Of No
vember IS. IL p m, was received No
, vember 49, Il a. m. The NiCaTaguan
: minister for foreign affairs has in
formed me today that the two Ameri-
cans we're executed on November j. at
I1O o'clock a. m, stating that they had
confessed 10 laying mines in the san
Juan river with the object Of blowing
Iup NicaraEuau ships, that they were
o tried by cOurt-martial, Salamon Selva
acting as prosecuting attorney.
d Absolutely Unprecedented.
THE case is absolutely unprecedented
= The commander in chief Of the Naca-
raguan army and the minister general
/ Of Nicaragua opposed the execution.
1T was ordered by President Zelaya,
notwithstanding this. and undoubtedly
Through personal antagOnism. although
/ Cannon had been involved in revolu-
- riOus against the Nlcdraguau govern
- meut Lawyers who have been con.
d suited have asserted that the execution
10 was understandable savagery. Letters
/ 10 the families Of the deceased have
4 been kept for evidence
eI Three points in the above COnfiTmatOTy
dispatch are causing comment today.
First that the execution took place on
r. / November L. whereas the first iutima-
ti0n received here about the treatment
/ accorded the Americans was not 90
hand until November lL Again, those
q familiar with the naval equipment OF
3. / NIcarc gua recall that IL has so far as
known, but one Warship-the MOtOtJm-
bO-OH the Pacific coast. II is not
% ships Cannon and GroGe contemplated
10 dyuamiting on the San Juan river unless
70 they were among the small river craft
y Disliked by ZeIaya.
Finally, that President ZeIaya was
personally autsgonistic to Cannon &,
y given credeuze here. II is recalled thai
~ several years ago in a three-cornerel
suit between Nicaragua. Honduras, auJ
IS Salvador, before the Cartago court
D which settles q lot of these Contra
~ American problems. Zclaya and Cannon
were on opposing sides. The court de
cided with the Cannon interests. an,
Zel8ya, it is said. has never forgCtteI
D. the incident uCr Cannon's participation
sn the night.
.fI Ills chagrin was so deep. IL is remem
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