The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-25
KNOX AND NICARAGUA.

The humanitarian efforts OF the Unit
ed States IN behalf Of the afflicted
Nicaraguans, represented IN the DIS
patches To be mostly the distressed
troops of Zelaya. are certainly to be
commended That is the sort of thing
that will count hundred times more
than any clustering or bullying. and 1t
is to be hoped will have a tendency to
heal the harm created by Secretary
Knox's vicious letter to the Nicara-
guam Minister The nursing of the sick,
the supplying of needed food and cloth
ing. the establishment of hospitals
all these things are so universally APP
proved that the people who provide
them score good and strong point
with the world; and surely something
of this kind was necessary TO put the
United States right before the Latin
American peoples.
The shaping of our political efforts.
however, is by no means so success
full, although the practically admitted
sympathy with the support for the Es-
trada insurrectionary movement is but
the logical continuation of the attl-
tude first assumed toward Estrada by
Secretary Knox. He stated In his let
ter referred TO that Estrada represent.
ed the people of Nicaragua better than
Zelaya did, He also stated that Ie-
laya S purpose and activities were not
in accord with the convention Of 1907
and the principles enunclated by 1t
that bound the Central American states
to mutual support and good will, and
in case of any difficulties, to arbitra-
ton. Estrada, therefore, was reason
ably justified in counting upon the sup
port of the United States in his insur
rectionarv movement. He is getting it,
and in so far as we are justified in
undertaking TO control the destiRies OF
another nation, we are logically pursu-
ing that end in supporting Estrada.
The Tribune has stated heretofore that
this was the logical continuation of
Secretary Knox's first movement. In
pursuing this course we shall obtain
the immediate gratitude of Estrada,
but also his undying suspicion lest we
should later on support somebody else
against him; and we implant the seeds
Of distrust in every republic in Central
America, and to less degree, in South
America,
The notification called "premoni-
tory warming to President Madriz
that the United States will hold him
,ne,Nnnoillo f,r hn or
of Americans in the western part of
Nicaragu qua is unique in the history of
international diplomacy. Madriz is the
new president of Nicaragua. He meets
on his assumption of official authority
n notification that he is under suspicion
by the United States, which will re-
quire an account from him, and that he
will have to conduct himself circum-
specify If he does not expect to be
summarily kicked out of Office by the
tremendous boot of Uncle Sam 1t is
to be hoped that this will not he con-
strued as a precedent. and that the
United States will not 90 about the
world with notifications to rulers here
and there of what the United States
expects of them. For instance. Bel
gium has Just bad a change of rulers
but there is no suggestion yet that
the United States should send to the
new king of the Beglans n warning as
to what this country expects him 10 do
by way of protecting American citizens.
There are nations that would resent
such a notification as this, and that
would consider il sheer bullying and
bombast. 1t looks, in fact, as though
the United States had got IT'S foot
into it about as far as it could so far
rs international diplomacy is concerned
in our Interference with the affairs of
Nicaragua. 1t Is sheer insolent intru-
sion, tempered only by the abundance
of onr humane efforts in the relief of
sufferers by the unhappy conditions ex-
listing among the NicaraRuan people.