The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-23
THE SHAME OF NICARAGUA.

Now that the cruel war in Nicaragua Is over,
let it be hoped that the disgraceful part taken
in the struggle by this country will be remem-
bered "a warning for the future
For all the greater part of the cruelty and the
greater portion of the loss, this countrys attl-
tude is directly responsible.
A war that left to itsef would have spent IT
self TO victory by one side or the other with
comparative speed has been wsntonly prolonged
10 crafty the pride of Washington official UNI
til it has covered almost year of bloodshed and
desolation.
Perhaps, now that the Estrada forces have at
length prevailed, there is Joy in the heart OF
Philander Chase Knox; if so the cause of his
self-felicitation is the cause of his country's
shame.
We never xnew--or have long since forgotten
the exact cas14s beH5 which sent Estrada
revolutionist into the field in rebellion against
his government. Perhaps his claim was that
Zelaya was tyrant If So the charge was
probably as true of Zelaya it will prove to be
of Estrada. But the pregnant fact is that, up
till the moment when the United States inter-
fered in struggle in which it was rank out
sider the government Of Nicaragua was in hands
strong enough to quickly crush revolt, The fact
remains, aso that by reason of the unwarranted
expulsion of Zelaya for doing to spies what any
civilized government in time of war would do
the war was prolonged the Estrada forces were
sustained and as result speedy peace was
changed into devastating contest.
Now that Estrada has won. the determination
of the issue is sorry recompense for the actual
loss entailed by the struggle. It is a sorrier
baube to be purchased at the price of the nations
honor.
Its end having been tardily carried, the out
come of United States interference in Nicaragua
will result only in fixing in Central and South
American Republics generally opinion of
this country exactly in conformity with that
confusion of fear and contempt which bully
exctes in his victims fear lest in moment of
internal dissension the mischief done in Mica
ragua may be elsewhere repeated contempt
that, having for whatever reason adopted pol
icy justifable only by the fact of its victims
weakness, this country possessed neither the
courage nor the humanity TO strangle quickly
instead of starving slowly If this country shall
determine to embark upon the profession of
Western bully its first lesson is to learn that
there is a humanity even of force the mercy of
the quick and crushing blow, the clean cut thrust
of the knife
SOUTHERN feVOlutlouS arr IL Is TRUE. d SOURCE OI
constant loss to cipilizatiea-at-l afge.-E Every
legitimate effort is due from this country, both
70 prevent them in the first instance and to
minimize their disasters in the next. But il
should either live up to the theory of their indie
pendence and internal integrity or by virtue
of it's greater power announce that it will have
peace, if necessary with club The vacillating
and pernicous policy illustrated in the treatment
of the Nicaraguan revolution can result only in
injuring the respect in which the nation is held
in the world at large, and in the ever possible
contingency of foreign embodiment in a petty
cause.
! There is in the entire matter also illustrated
again the hopelessness of the outworn policy OF
attempting to place at the head of diplomatic
department men whose training and ability are
distnctively of civil life: the occasional successes
of such system mean the chance selection OF
the exceptional man, but exceptional men are
rare. and in time of need sane American d
plomacy il rarer
RHODE ISLAND FLUNKY LAW
s,.,uv