Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-07
NEED FIRM HAND
IN NICARAGUA
PR0TECTORATE WOULD BE
WELCOMED
STATES is DESIRED
Residents of Central American Re-
public Believe Outside Domina-
tion Is Only Solution
of Trouble
BY WILLIAM WHEATON

CORINTO, Dec. 19.-When the news
came that Secretary Knox had given
Senor Rodriguez his passports and
that the marines had been dispatched
to the scene of the murder of Groce
and Cannon, there was quite a furry
of excitement all along the canal zone,
especially at La Boca, where the
cruiser Buffalo in her gray war paint
swung lazily at anchor awaiting the
arrival Of Admiral Kimball and a de-
tachment of 500 marines.
The steamship Acapulco of the Pa
cific Mail was to sail on the 18th and
we boarded her for Corinto. L was
lucky, for at Puerte Arenas DR.. Don
Jose Madriz, who is aspiring to the
presidency, came aboard with his ret
inue. Senor Madriz was on his way
to Nicaragua from France, where he
has been spending some time.
The first junta of the expected new
administration was held on the Aca-
pulco at San Juan del Sur, the first
Nicaraguan port, and it was attended
by a considerable number of comman-
dantes and their adherents, who are
secretly tired of the Zelaya rule. There
were Senors Condigren, Marales, DR..
Horatio Espinosia, Gen. Jose Boga and
a number of civil and military digni-
taries.
Upon arriving at Corinto the Aca
pulco passed into the harbor and
docked amid the vivas for Madriz,
punctuated with the bursting of
bombs. Senior Madriz made speech
from the steamers deck to the enthu-
siastic crowd that lined the dock. In
the harbor the gunboatS Yorktown and
Vicksburg kept grim watch on the
town and the English boat Clearwater
and the Mexican boat General Ger
rero were there to see after the inter
II
was rumored that the Gerrero came
to take off Gen. Zelaya and his fam
lily, but it was not credited.
The throng had hardly ceased their
vivas for Madriz when the boom of
cannon broke forth from the warships
in the harbor and the Buffalo, with
flags flying and smoke pouring from
her big funnel, swung around the
point and anchored close by the cruis-
er Albany.
In the train ride to Managua, the
capital, there was a chance to get a
good view of some of the participants
in this opera bouffe war. Imagine a
boy Of 12 or 10 years with a pair Of
baggy red pantaloons, so long that
they get under his bare feet, a blue
cotton coat two sizes too large and a
cap that covers his head so far down
that only his nose peeps out; a gun
WELL that is not describable; belt
through which is thrust a bayonet so
long that it drags on the ground. Con-
lure this picture in your mind and
you have a good idea Of g. Nicaraguan
soldier for or against the government.
You can ask any of them what they
are fighting for and eight out of every
ten will fail to give you any reason
why they bear arms.
One thing we found out and that is
that while most Of them serve Zelaya
through fear they hate him for his
expressions. In all the numerous bat
ties the killed and wounded are very
few and those casualties were no doubt
accidental The soldiers do not shoot
to kill each other and their battles are
more of the melodrama order than
those of actual warfare.
Unless the farce is stopped it will be
like a Chinese play-endless, serving
eonly to impede progress and keep the
governments of Central America in
firm hand, such as was placed on Cuba
Avhen she could not behave. Until ig-
lorance and poverty are banished by
,nlightened government these repub-
cs of Central America will be the
cenes of continual turmoil and noisy,
ot bloody, strife.
I'm the interviews that I have had
th numerous residents Of the re-
Lblic it is safe to say that neither
trada nor Zelaya is desirable as
Ter. One, they claim. is despotic,
other incapable, and there are
ousands of them who would with
4eat acclaim welcome the United
$ates as a protectorate until the es-
)lishment of some stable form of
,ernment, which shall insure peace
~ prosperity.