The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-04
NIcARAGuAN INTERVENTION.

The action of our Government IN
Nicaragua amounts practically TO the
establishment of a protectorate over
that country Secretary Knox, in his
correspondence dimIssing the Minister
Of Zelaya s government. called the gov.
ernment to account for its breach of
agreements, for its evasion OF inter
national law, for its cruelties, and its
general attitude towards civilized
IDEAS and civilized men. lie OK.
pressed the opinion, further, that the
nsurgent movement there was more
truly representative of the people of
Nicaragua than was Zelaya rule. This
was clearly an Intervention IN behalf
of the Insurgents. and Will amount no
doubt TO the deposition of Iclaya from
the presidency and dictatorship of
| Nicaragua. He was elected president
IN 1906. for a siX-years term.
This action Of the United States, it
viii be observed, is precisely what
number Of the Latin governments of
| Central and South America have been
protesting to fear, that is, the practical
supervision over them of the United
State Government Whenever this
fear has been expressed in any definite
OF official form. the United States has
always disavowed any such intent, and
assured the obiecting governments that
this country has no intention to exer-
else any supervision or supervisory con.
troll oter those Latin American govern
Ia
that thing in the case of Nicaragua.
Our former act, in that VIC detached
Panama from the United States of
Colombia, raised protests, and now we
are intervening in the affairs of Nicara-
qua. condemning the existing govern
ment and supporting the efforts Of the
insurgents in their attempt to depose
Zelaya, and saying that these insur-
gents represent the people of Nicara-
qua. and that 2elaya S government does
not
Prima facie, this is a dangerous po'
sition TO take, because the answer
would be that if the people of Nicara
qua do not like the Zelayan govern.
ment, all they have to do is to wait un-
til his term OF Office expires, and then
vote him out. However, the action of
Secretary Knox is based no doubt on
the idea that if Zelaya is allowed to re.
main he will perpetuate himself in of
fee, denying and preventing any cleo
ton that would be real expression of
the will Of the people. There is a good
deal of force in that position, because
that is exactly what a dictator like Ze-
lava, or Castro for example in Vene-
zuela would do,
The general feature, however, that
we wish TO direct attention to, is the
international one. We have been pro-
testing all the time that we had no
thought of interfering in the internal
affairs of any of the Latin Republics.
We have interfered, however, twice
within very recent years once in wrest-
ing Panama from its political attach
ment TO Colombia, and now by way of
officially approving the insurgents in
Nicaragua and issuing the edict which
is practically the deposition of the legal
President of that so.called republic. 1t
will be pretty difficult after this TO
quiet the fears of such governments as
exist in other portions of Central and
South America, and convince them that
the United States is really disinterested
so far as they are concerned. and will
not interfere with them. For it is
exactly when such governments are at
tackled that interference becomes eff
fective. No interference, of course, is
possible when everything is entirely
peaceful and no trouble is occurring.
But it is when there is trouble that in
reference counts; and the interference
of the United States is what all of
those republics fear, Now they will
have two precedents TO point to for such
interference and in justification of their
fears; and the United States will have
no reinsurance ready that can reason
ably be accepted as earnest and fully
meeting the case.