The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-05
TAFT PRAISES KNOX
President in Speech to Pitts
burg Clubmen Lauds
Sec'y of State
NICARAGUAN SITUATION
American Club OF Pittsburg Enter
tanned the Chief Executive and Lis
tened to Vigorous Defense of See
retary knOx-His Policy Regarding
the Nicaraguan Matter Upheld.

retary knox-His Policy Regarding
the Nicaraguan Matter Upheld.
Pittsburg, Pa, Ma. 2.-President
ended his two days stay in Pittsburg
with speech at the Grant Day din
ner of the American Club tonight, in
which he dealt almost wholly with
the foreign affairs of the Nation. The
President paid striking tribute to
the Secretary of State, Mr.. Knox, who
was present. He vigorously defended
and justified the secretary's Nicara-
guam policy, flayed those who invent
ed the phrase dollar diplomacy and
ended with the declaration that tile
record of the State department during
the first year of the present admin
istration was one to which he point
ed with the greatest pride.
The President began his speech by
declaring his great Indebtedness to
the State of Pennsylvania, the City
of Pittsburg and the American Club
for giving him Secretary Knox. He
paid high tribute to the secretary as
adviser, lawyer. Statesman and diplo-
mat
The President detailed the recent
reorganization of the State depart
ment under the direction of Secretary
Knox. He referred to the successful
culminations of recent negotiation
under the maximum and minimum
provisions of the new tariff law and
continued:
ton that the peculiar relations exist
ing between Canada and the United
States, with a boundary line of 5000
in entent between them justifies diff
ferent policy as to imports and ex-
ports between the two countries from
that which obtains in regard to Eu-
ropean and Oriental countries, and
that if, by reciprocal arrangements,
we can make the commercial bond
closer it will be for the benefit of
both nations.
THE example set by the last admin
istration, with Mr.. Root at the head
of the State Department, in cultivat-
ing good relations with all South AM
erican and Central American repub-
lies, has been followed closely by Mr..
Knox and the department under him.
| say this deliberately for the purpose
of meeting suggestions and criticisms
that there has been departure from
such policy and | venture TO affirm
that never before in the history of the
country have our relations with South
American and Central American re-
publics been more friendly than they
ire today. 4
The course of our State depart
ment with respect to certain small
Central American States has been
subjected to criticism, which to me
seems wholly unwarranted. Turbu-
lence and unstable conditions in Cen
trail America have been a perennial
occupation to the department of
State.
The great dsturber OF Central
America in recent years has been Ze-
laya, the tyrannical and unprincipled
President of the republic of Nicara-
qua With respect to every plan for
the promotion of pacification and of
friendly relations between the five
republics, he played the part of mar
plot. When his brutal and cruel eX-
actions drove part of the people of
Nicaragua into rebellion and an eX-
tended civil war, he violated the
laws of war and the rights of Ameri-
can citizens, who had regularly en-
listed in the ranks of the revolution
lists by taking their lives. He thus
gave a right to the government of the
United States to demand reparation
and to decide, by reason of the char
acter of his government -emplified
by this cruelty toward American citi-
zens-to withdraw all diplomatic rela-
tions
the factions is now drawing to a
close, and that a far better govern
ment may be established which shall
have regard to the interests of it's
own citizens as well as those OF
friendly nations. The leaders of both
factions, Madriz and Estrada, have
admitted that unjust character of the
killing of Grace and Cannon This
government must consider at the pro-
per time calling upon the government
of Nicaragua, when one can be re-
cognized, to make such reparation as
shall seem to be just for this viola
tion of American rights, and to give
adequate guarantee for the future OBJ
servance and strengthening on the
part of Nicaragua of the Washington
conventions.
"1'he elimination OF Castro, who
was in the class of Zelaya from the
control of Venezuela, has enabled us
to settle peacefully the claims of our
fellow citizens in the important South
American claims.
"The theory that the field of di-
plomacy does not include in any de-
gree commerce and the increase Of