The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-23
VICTORY OF ESTRADA'S
 FORCES IS COMPLETE News Of the Battle at Rama Shows That the Government Forces Lost Heavily at the Hands
 of Insurgents.

President Zelaya today Issued man. ifesto declaring that his surrender of the presidency was caused by desire to save Nicaragua the humiliation of out rages threatened by a powerful foreign nation, which was now inaugurating a decisive influence over the destiny of Nicaragua
 Because of his resistance against the imposition of tutelage, which was the forerunner of the conversion of the Latin nations of this continent into dependen- cies of the United States. he had in- cured the hatred of that government. and when the defeat of the revolutionists appeared certain the United States gov ernment inexpicably severed relations with Nicaragua through Secretary Knox's letter to the charge d'affaires. He pro- tested before the world against the med ding of the United States and the threat to land marines.
 Zelaya, in his manifesto. takes up va rious clauses of the Knox letter in an attempt to refute certain charges with copies of letters he had received from John Gardner Coolidge. the former Amer. ican minister at Managua, thanking him
 
 ter of the claims of Guatemala and Sal vador.
 The former president declares that the Americans, Cannon and Groce, were exe- cuted according to law. This pretext for intervention he asserts, Is similar to that employed when the United States first intervened in Cuba for there was no proof that the battleship Maine was blown up by Spaniards, yet this was taken as a cause for action. Nor, according to xelaya, is there any proof that Cannon and Groce were put to death unlawfully.
 There are, persistent rumors here that a force of Hondarstlis. now refugees in Guatemala, are preparing for a revolu- tion, and propose to invade Honduras at Ocolepeque.
 General Gonzales, in command Of the government troops at Rama, in an off ciai dispatch received here this morning, claims to nave won a victory over the revolutionists. He admits having sui fered severe losses. The battle being fought at noon Monday. the governments right wing being attacked by General Cnamorro and the left wing by Matuty. These positions were defended until o'clock in the evening by Gonzales and Castrillo.
 Capt Annibal Chaves, who. when in command of the firing squad, refused to order the execution of Cannon and Groce and for that reason was placed under arrest, has been ordered liberated rom the penitentiary.
 In a clash today between the police and demonstrators at Massaya several persons were wounded.
 Additional dispatches from Rama an- nounce the capture of Tatumbla by the revolutionists on Monday Fourteen pris- oners were taken by General Gonzales, one of them being an American.
 Rejoicing Over Victory.
 Washington, December 22-Up to a late hour tonight no official news of the prog ress of events in Nicaragua had been received here by Dr. Castrillo, the rep resentative in Washington of the Estrada government There was general rejoic- Ing. however, over the reported extent Of the victory, and this satisfaction was not confined to the Nicaraguan partisans. Practically all the Central Americans joined in the celebration that marked the downfall of Zelaya, who long has been recognized as disturbing factor In Central America.
 It Is believed here that Estrada will proceed next to Greytown and compel the surrender of the government troops , that have been bottled up in that place for more than a month. This may take some time. The country between Blue fields and Greytown is swampy and d1f- dcult to negotiate, especially for an army. AS the crow flies, it is only a matter Of about 60 miles. but a wide detour prob- ably will have to be taken, almost doubling the distance.
 Once the news of the defeat of the Zelayan troops at Bluefields is conveyed to the Greytown garrison, the defeat of that force, it Is expected by the revolu- tionists' sympathizers here, will be easy. When that is accomplished the next move of Estrada will be to capture the small towns along the San Juan river which flows past Creytown and couples Lake Nicaragua with the sea. In this manner the revolutionists will have a clear con- nection with their base on the seaboard and will then move swiftly toward Man. agua-
 In the opinion of those who have traversed the country the march of the victorious Estrada army even if it is not opposed, will take from six to seven days before Managua is within hailing dis tance. Most of the journey. 1t Is ex- pected, will be made in boats drawn by steamers and launches, and the landing will be made at point near the capital, or in a territory traversed by fairly good roads.
 No news of the reported gathering of Honduran malcontehts in Nicaraguan ter ritory has been received by either the Guatemalan or the Honduran ministers tonight. The alleged revolutionary move ment is not taken seriously, especially so since the United States has so forceful- ly and firmly marked down it's policy with regard to the necessity for keeping the pcs nmorg the Central American repNhi''s
 Government Loses Heavily. Panama. December 22.-A wireless mes- sage from Bluef1elds addressed to Gen. erAl Chamoros father here reports 600 } men killed and 1sO0 prisoners and 1,00o,- 600 cartridges captured by the provisional governments forces at the battle of Rama,