Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-30
Says His Own People Trusted Him in
Every Particular.
DENIES CARRYING AWAY MONEY
Needed Loan and Went Abroad to
Negotiate It.
WAS IN TOUCH WITH ROOSEVELT
Thinks that IL This Government
Was Fair It Would Put Down
Central American RevoA
luton.

BRUSSELS, May 29.-Former President
Joseph Santos Zeaya Of the republic of
Nicaragua, who is an exile in Belgium,
The result OF a revolution which is still
seething in the state Of which he was for
merly the head, is going back to Nicaragua
but not for two years at least.
Ex-President zelaya, who is residing with
his father-in-law on the outskirts of this
city, has written a notable statement in
which he charges Secretary of State Knox
OF the United states with undue inter
ference in the state affairs in Nicaragua.
said Zelaya
Il was president of Nicaragua for six
teen years, and in that time L never lost
battle l was friendly to the United
states and hoped to retain the friendship
of that great nation, for 1 knew that foreign
capital was necessary to develop our re-
sources Il knew my people; 1 live in the
country where they trusted in me, and for
that reason was never surprised by any
intrigue" . -' o.
Zelaya refuted the story that he carried
away vast fortune out of Nicaragua when
he was exled. He said that once he was
worth $1,000 600, but that he had advanced
over half of this to his country to carry
on government affairs.
Denies Carrying Away Money.
Everything 1 have in the world now,"
said he, "ls 100000 worth of land in Mica
ragua and house and lot in the city of
New Orleans"
The ex-presldent said he had the friend
ship of President Roosevelt. Speaking of
the revolution late in 1906, he said:
After the defeat of the allied forces Of
Nicaragua, Honduras was in a state of an
archy. l received from President Roosevelt
dispatches urging me to take and retain
Honduras and establish there a protector
ate, similar to that established by the
United States in Cuba after the Spanish
war. l had been in Communication with
President Roosevelt. He expressed approval
of my conduct" Continuing, the erstwhlle
dictator said:
Some time before this last revolution.
but when it could be foreseen that Cab
rera's work was bearing fruit and that
trouble was impending learned on unuues-
tonable authority that Secretary Knox had
gone so far out Of his way and violated
diplomatic precedent, that he had actually
made 1t impossible for Nicaragua, to float
needed loan in France, by informing the
French ambassador in Washington that
the United States did not wish my govern
ment to have such loan, and the French
government, being thus informed knew
that the United States would regard any
encouragement as an unfrendly act. and so
closed to us the Paris Bourse.
In regard to the execution of Cannon
and Groce let me say at the outset that
under the constitution of Nicaragua had
nothing TO do with it, but l do not wish
to shirk any responsibility in the affair
Tor my conscience is clear. | had the
power of pardon and could have pardoned
the two Americans after the court martial
had sentenced them to death Groce !
did not know or know of, but 1 Ixnau,
Cannon, for he had been a prisoner he
fore.
Now, these men were not merely rebels
and as such guilty of a crime, the punish.
ment for which is death, but they were
spies as well, for they had stolen mans
showing the position OF government troons
And the worst crime of all, they, bad
plotted and attempted TO carry ONT tba
destruction of boats by dynamite an
which were several hundred Nicaragpa n
soldiers, piece OF barbarism that uae
thwarted only because they had planted
their dynamite too dep in the water and
though the explosion took place, no Iveg
were lost.
II have done all that could do; l have
relinquished the country. II 1 had nos
sessed ammunition without principle. as
they say, l should have accepted three
years ago the protectorate of Honduras
when it was urged upon me by President
| Roosevelt.
But even If all that my enemies saw
were true. l am no longer in the land
to trouble 1t. Now that l have left wby
does the United States permit this revo-
luton to continue? Why does she aIIou
my country 10 be harrassed and made moo,
by the plotting OF her enemies? What in.
terest has she in permitting this to con.
tinue7'