The Springfield herald., 1912-10-18

L.
post in the world. Men who have
been stationed there sometimes
form little groups In the Metro
politan club, In Washington. and talk
of their Nicaraguan service as Rus
slams talk OF the siege of Port Arthur
or survivors speak of Ladysmith. The
old Spaniards called the place the
Paradise of Mahomet," but the taste
of the conquistadores in houris was
notoriously catholic. 1t is actually
place Of villainous climate, wretched
people. poverty, heat and disease.
writes Paxton Hibben, late American
charge d'affairs to Chile, in the In
dianapolis News.
We have often before this been in
more or less difficulties with the gov
ernment of Nicaragua and sometimes
with other governments over Nicara-
qua. In 1854 the u S. s, Cyane bonn
barded and burned. the Atlantic port
OF San Juan del Norte. and the follow
ing year the soldier OF fortune. VIII
liam Walker, with his American pha-
lanx. began his brief but picturesque
Central American career In Nicara-
qua, of which country he was prest-
dent for while.
BY 1884 we had had 80 much trou-
BILE with the country that. when the
Nicaraguan canal project was being
talked of, renegotiated treaty with
that republic expressly providing for
American intervention whenever It
might seem necessary for us to pro-
tect any canal that might be built,
but the treaty never became opera
tive. In 1907. Mr.. Root. then secre-
tary Of state. conceived the altruistic
scheme of insuring permanent peace
In Central America by establishing an
international Central American arbi-
tration court in Costa Rica. but 1t was
scarcely opened when the Nicaragu-
ans had violated both the letter and
the spirit of this arrangement Final
ly.. the United States expelled Don
Jose Santos Zelaya. the arch trouble
maker. but peace has no more reigned
since his departure than before.
Nicaragua has permanent source
of difficulties In the existence of the
two ancient cities OF Leon and Grana-
da. the guelf and ghibelline rivals, as
bitterly hostile as were ever Florence
end Pisa. To put an end to their con.
tinental struggles. In which the whole
country was involved. Managua was
built between the two, in 1851, and
made the capital of the republic in
place of Granada. A less favorable To-
cation for a city than that of Managua
would be difficult to conceive. The
heat is intense and the situation of
the place. on Lake Managua, could
not be more exposed or less pleasing.
The streets are dusty and unpavec
The buildings have none of the charm
Of age and good architecture which
redeem those of Leon and Granada, to
certain extent. They are of plas-
tered adobe. one-storied, stained, sun.
faded, unclean. forlorn and the people
are as stained. unclean and forlorn
as their houses. One can not blame
the people for fighting. The victory
of a Nicaraguan grave may be an
easy one, but there In surely not much
sting to death.
BIrdseye Of corInto.
Corinto. the Pacific port. is, II any.
thing worse. AS port, Its accommo-
dations are better than those of any
harbor between Mexico and Panama.
because at least ocean going ships
may dock at Corinto. which cannot be
done in the splendid anchorage of
Amapala. A funny little railroad, with
engines that take one back to ones
childhood, running parallel to the
beach. few scorching streets, with
sandaled, almost naked Indians pat.
tering up and down them, some ware
houses. the property of foreigners,
strung along the shore. and a truly
dreadful hotel kept by an Italian
tnat is Corinto. Hotbed Of yellow
fever, malaria, heas. lice. plague and
other discomforts. 1t is only two days