The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-17
.STERNERMETHODS
Favored BY TAFT
His Patience With Nicaraguan
Outrages Is Ex-
hausted.
INTERFERENCE PLANNED
He confers With Secretary
Knox and Latter Instructs
State Department to Act.
INTERFERENCE PLANNED

Ispectal to The Times-pIsnatch.1

Especial to The Tfmes-Dispatch.1
Washington. D. c., July 16.--Presi-
dent Taft is growing restless under
continued reports of the i'll treatment
of American citizens in Nicaragua. and
is moving for the adoption of sterner
methods with the Central American
Republic.
The appeals made to him by rela-
tives of William Pittman, the Boston
man held in prison in Managua by
Madriz and half starved, led to con-
ference by the President with Secre-
I6tary Knox over the telephone at the
latter's home at Valley Forge, Pa.
with orders to-day from the Secretary
to the State Department to take steps
to relieve Pittman.
The department telegraphed also to
Consul Moffat, at Bluetields, to ascer-
tain whether DR.. Lawrence Burgheim.
an American citizen. Is held there by
the Madriz forces. DR.. Burgheim is
said to have been sanitary officer for
the Estrada forces. was captured and
forced by Madriz to treat the wounded
of his army.
Case is Pcrplexing.
There Is perplexity over the Pittman
case. AS prisoner of war he may be
held by the Madriz forces, but the
Eicaraguan government has no right
to infict unnecessary hardships or.
cruelties on him. To prevent this, the
department will instruct Consul, Oli-
wares to have the Pittman charges In
svestigated, and the State Department
On this the State Department will
act.
There Is report that the State
Department Is preparing to Issue a
statement to the world justifying its
forcible interference in Nicara qua un-
loss conditions there are speedily bet
tered. Among these reasons are:
The gunboatl Venus was released
after being held up at New Orleans
on false statements by the Madriz
government. The bombardment OF
Prin1 Apulca, an unfortified town, In
1ured American interests and menaced
government was fouted when Pittman
was il-treated by the Madriz gov
ernment despite the pledges of Madriz.
DR.. Lawrence Burgheim, an Ameri-
can citizen. has been detained with
out cause and held as a prisoner OF
war. and Americans in Western Mica
ragua have been threatened with
death.
Madriz has been a trouble-maker In
stirring up anti-Amerlcan feeling IN
Cantral and South America.
Word received at the State Depart
ment to-day from Managua indicates
that the Madriz faction Is preventing
Nicaraguans from leaving the west
ern portion of the country. and en-
forcing measures huppressing SYM
pathetic movements with the Estrada
faction.
Restrictive Measures.
DEGREES have been issued by Leopold
Montenegro. military governor, provid-
ing that ill-condltioned Nlcaraguans
should not continue to disturb the So
cial order without regard to law Peo-
pie are restricted from leaving the city
without passports and cannot leave at
night unless written permission Is
given by the authorities FriendlS
gatherings In private houses and pub
lie establishments are prohibited after
8 O'clock without permission, under
penalty OF a fine of from 80 to 400
pesos
That the German government was
singled out for criticism far having rec-
ognized the Madria government of MIC
aragua In direct opposition to the pos
sition of the United States. is regarded
as somewhat peculiar, in view OF a
statement Just issued TO the effect that
the Austrian, Danish, French, Norwo-
gian, Belgian Swiss, Chilean and Ar
gentine governments recognized Madriz
M IContinued on ,SScOnd Pagel