The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-18
SHARP MEASURES
FOR NICARAGUA
President Taft Wants Amerl-
cans to Be Well Treated
HE CoNFERs WITH KNOX
,rxxo Americans Are Confined In Mica
rauguan Prisons and Their Con-
dition Has stirred President
Taft to Action

Washington. July 17.-(special) -Presi-
dent Taft is growing restless under con-
tinuous reports of the ill-treatmeht Vi
American citizens in Nicaragua, and is
moving for the adoption OF sterner
methods with the Central American re-
public.
The appeals made to him by relatives OF
William Pittman. the Boston man heid
in prison in Managua by Madriz,s and haiI
starved led to a conference by the Pres
ident with Secretary Knox over the teie-
phone at the latter's home at Vahey
Forge Pa, with orders today from 'he
Secretary of State to take steps 10 re-
lieve Pittman.
The department telegraphed also 10
Consul Moffat at Bluefields to ascertain
whether Dr. Lawrence Burgnelh' al
American citizen, is held prisoner by the
Madriz forces DR.. Burgheim Is SAID 10
have been sanitary officer for the ESTRADA
forces. was captured and forced by Mao-
riz to treat the wounded of his army
There is perplexity over the Putnam
case. As a prisoner of war he may Dc
held by the Madriz forces, but the MICA
raguan government has no right TO inhict
unnecessary hardships or cruelties on
him. To prevent this the department
will Interfere. Consul Olivares has the
Pittman case in charge and the state
department has cabled him for fuil par
ticulars On this report the department
will act
There is report here that the state
department is preparing to issue TO tne
world statement justifying its forcipie
interference in Nicaragua unless condi-
tions there are speedily Dettereo. AIMING
these reasons are:
"The eunboat Venus was released after
being held up at New Orleans on false
statements by the Madrfz government.
The Commandment at Prinz Apulca, an
unfortifed town, injured American inter-
ests and menaced the lives of American
citizens.
This government was fouted when
Pttman was ill-treated by the Madriz
government despite the pledges of Mad
riz.
DIR. Lawrence Burgheim. an American
citizen, has been detained without cause
and held as a prisoner of war.
Americans in western Nicaragua have
been threatened with death or ruin. Mad
riz has been a trouble-maker in stirring
UP anti-American feeling in Central and
South America.
Word received at the state department
today from Managua indicates that the
Madriz faction is preventing Nicaraguans
from leaving the western portion of the
country and enforcing measures suppress
ing sympathetic movements with the Es-
trada faction.
DEGREES have been issued by Leopold
Montenegro, military governor, providing
that ill-conditioned Nicaraguans should
not continue to disturb the social order
without regard to law. People are re-
stricted from leaving the city without
passports and cannot leave at night unless
written permission is given by the au-
thorities. Friendly gatherings In private
houses and public establishments are
prohibited after o'clock without per-
mission under penalty of fine of from
80 to 200 pesos.
That the German government was sin
gled out for criticism for having recog-
nized the Madriz government of Mica
ragua In direct opposition to the position
of the United States is regarded some
what peculiar, in view of a statement
Just issued to the effect that the Aus
TRAN, Danish, French, Norwegian, Bel
CLAN, Swiss, Chilean and Argentine gov
ernments recognized Madriz as the valid
President of Nicaragua before the Kaiser
wrote his now famous great and good
friend letter.