El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-26

n ANAGUA, Nicaragua. June 2s.-
! MI The present efforts of the
United States to compose the
turbulent affairs of the republic Of
Nicaragua constitute an epoch-making
departure in American diplomacy. The
state department hopes to adjust the
affairs Of this little country in such
way that permanent peace may fol-
low and that the resources of the
country may be developed with re-.
sultant expansion of American trade
with Nicaragua. 1t feels if the senate
rectifies the treaty it has negotiated,
the United States will thereby be given
| such supervisory control over the
| customs houses as will give Uncle Sam
power to insist that peace be main
tanned Now he has no such power
and must simply do what he can by
moral suasion to maintain peace This
! is not guarantee of peace at all,
| when the interests of the various poll
! ticians conflict. But with a treaty
| permitting it, the United States can
see to it that the customs houses are
| no made part of the spoils OF war,
and thus practically can make sure
| that the peace of the republic is main
| tanned.
Knox Using Every Resource.
Secretary Knox is. using every re-
! source at his command to induce the
| senate to ratify the convention he has
| negotiated with the Nicaraguan gov
pertinent. He feels that if Central
| American republics do not meet their
| foreign obligations fairly foreign ma
lions will want to step in and protect
! their interests. and that these repub-
| lies cannot meet their obligations I'M
! less they get down to a peace basis.
| He insists that it is far better to help
| them to get back on their financial
feet, and then compel them to stand
up, than it would be to let matters
drag along and bring in unexpected
| compiled tions
If this effort OF the department TO
| Danish revolutions from Nicaragua and
| to put the country on sound finan-
cfal and economic footing shall sue
| coed, the same policy will be applied
| in other Central American republics
| In the hope that permanent peace will
supplant recurring revolutions, and
that the swords Of all Central America
| may be beaten into plowshares and it's
| spears into pruning hooks.
Departments Efforts misunderstood.
There Is much dispute about the
part the state department has played
in the Nicaraguan revolution That its
attitude in the whole matter has been
asserted by the representatives of the
department. This grew out OF its for
bidding the Madriz army and the gun
boat Venus to lombard Bluefields If
the Madriz forces had been permitted
to lombard the town after they had
taken the bluff comma nding it. there
is no question but that the Madriz
cause would have triumphed. It was
this that led to the popular belief, ac-
cording to the department. that it was
favoring Estrada over Madriz.
1t is freely conceded at the depart
ment that it's refusal TO permit Madriz
TO lombard Bluefields did result in
the triumph OF Estrada But its re-
fusal. 1t is asserted was not predi- |
Gated upon friendship for Estrada. nor ,
upon enmity against Madriz. Some
time before Estrada wanted to bonn |
bard Greytown. At that time the Eng
lish navy had a vessel there and its |
commander refused Estrada the priv |
ilege OF bombarding the town. upon /,
the ground that international law re-
quires that where there are foreign |
residents and foreign interests in un- |
fortified towns they shall not be bonn |
barded. and any nation has right |
to interfere and prevent such lombard |
and their interests. So Greytown was /
not bombarded and the Madriz forces /
continued in undisturbed possession
Later. when the Madriz forces took !
the bluffs near Bluefields and wanted I
TO lombard the city. they became the
victims of the same law that had pro-
fected them at Greytown- The United 1
States. without desire to violate its
position Of neutrality between the |
contending forces. simply insisted that |
the international law be observed. and
this, of course. did inure greatly to
the advantage of Estrada The state
department could not have, planned TO
assist Estrada any better If it had de-
sired to do so. and yet it insists that
1t was no more acting in the interest
of Estrada when il forbade Madriz to /
she'll Bluefields than were the English
acting in the interest of Madriz when |
they forbade Estrada to shell Grey |
town.
Results In Success for Estrada.
That the Inevitable result Of the re- |
fusal Of the United States to permit
the Smelling of B1uefields would be
the success OF the Estrada revolution
was foreseen by the department. but
the advantage given Estrada thereby
was purely Incidental and. it is
claimed. played no part in the deter
mination of the state department to
insist that the rules of international
law with reference to defenceIess cities
be observed.
With the department doing the very
thing that would inevitably bring
about a triumph Of the revolution. IT
is but natural that people should be-
lieve that it had done that thing with
that purpose in view. In other words
the possession of Bluefields, was the !
factor in the revolution. |
The state department made 1t abso-
lutely impossible for the Madriz forces
to take the city-a thing which would
have been easy without the Interior
ence OF the United States-so easy
that Estrada foresaw 1t, and, but for
4 timely tip that this interference
would be Forthcoming, would have
thrown up the sponge. 1t is easy 10
see that the onlooker would readily {
conclude that the state department
aided the Estrada cause with full pur-
pose to do so. But the department in
sists that II was observing only the {
principles Of international law. with I
out any reference to the question OF Z
whom 1t would help and whom 1t I
would hurt. .
In spite of the departments state $
oa1f ~ 0,,rD0aor and aims In reqa ri tn | T.,