The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-01-12
President Taft Sends His
Nomination. to the Senate
y z las An Envoy.
GOES TO NICARAGUA
APPOINTMENTS in Recognition
Of His Fitness as a
Fine Diplomat.

WASHINGTON. Jan. s.-Ell;ott
Northcott, of Huntington; has been
selected by President Taft for one Of
the most difficult. and important din
+lomatic positions under the govern
ment. The President today sent 10
the Senate the nomination Of Mr..
@Northcott to be Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary to Mic
arcgua, and 1t is expected that he
will sail for Managua, Nicaragua,
about the twentieth of this month, II
his nomination is confirmed by the
Senate in time.
The relations between the United.
States and Nicaragua have been
considerably strained since the kill
ing of the two Americans, Cannon
and Groce, by tzeleya, who was then
president of Nicaragua. On &C.
count of that affair, diplomatic re-
lations with Nicaragua were sever
ed by this country and no minister
has been accredited to Nicaragua
since that time.
The appointment of Mr.. Northcctt
will mean the complete restoration of
diplomatic relations with the Cen
trail American republic, and it is ex-
pected that the new minister will re-
store perfect harmony between the
two republics.
In view of the strained relations
and the desire to restore harmony be-
tween the republics. the post of min
lister to Nicaragua is recognized, at
this particular time. as one OF the
most important diplomatic posts in
the gift of the President and the SCI
lection Of Mr. Northcott to fill this
important position is evidence Of
the high consideration in which he
is held as diplomat by the Presl-
dent and the State Department.
Mr.. Northcott's selection is said
to have been brought about by reason
of his successful Termination of the
unfriendly attitude OF the Colon
bians toward Americans last summer.
Mr.. Northcott had no sooner landed
in Colombia, after he had been ap-
pointed minister to that country,
than an uprising occurred. His good
Offices were invoked and in short
time the uprising was quelled. Last
spring anti-American riots broke
out in Bogota, the capital OF Col
ombia, where Mr.. Northcott was
stationed. The demonstration start
ed over the ownership of the street
railway in Bogota, which had been
constructed and operated by Amer
leans, The natives became in incen-
sed at the Foreigners" and started
their riots 1t was during these riots
that Mrs. Northcott was alone in tho
American legation when 1t was at
tackled by the riotous mob. She was
uninjured, although somewhat alarm
ed until the mob was driven away,
Mr.. Northcott essayed the task Of
getting the street railway into the
hands of Colombians, so as to end
the. riots, and 1T was through his eff
forts that the road was sold by the
Americans to the City of Bogota. The
first payment was made in October,
soon after the arrival OF Mr.. North
colt in this country on a three
months leave of absence, and the
final payment was made within the
last two weeks. The road is said to
have been sold for ssOO.OOO.
His record in smoothing over u
most difficult situation, his familiar
ity with the Spanish language and
his knowledge of the Latin-Ameri-
can races sect to fit Mr.. North
colt especially for the difficult place
he has been given in Nicaragua, and
If he restores harmony between that
country and the United States as
successfully as he did in Colombia,
he will have taken on high fame as
a diplomat
& Mr. Northcott is to have as secre-
tary 81 the legation Mr.. Franklin
Mott cInther, of Amherst, Va, WHO
is about &c years old, is Harvard
graduate, finishing his course in Par
:. is, and was for two years private
secretary to the American Ambassa-
dor at Toxic and later third secre-
tary of the legation at Paris.