Evening star., 1912-08-28
AMERICAN TROOPS
GO TO NICARAGUA;
CONDITIONS ACUTE
Taft Personally Directs Move
ment of 10th U. S. In
fantry From Panama.
PROTECTION IS URGENTLY
NEEDED BY AMERICANS
Situation Rivaling Boxer Rebellion
in China Said to Exist
SHOOTING OF WOMEN IS DENIED
Gen. Altschul Condemns Charges of
Barbarity Against Rebels.
Officials Claim Precedent
for Invasion
PROTECTION IS URGENTLY
NEEDED BY AMERICANS
Situation Rivaling Boxer Rebellion
in China Said to Exist.
SHOOTING OF WOMEN IS DENIED

american SOldlerS VIII De lanQeu
in Nicaragua within the next
forty-eight hours.
On advices OF conditions said
10 be SO serious as to Justify not
being made public in Washington,
President Taft from Beverly to-
day personally directed the imme-
diate movement OF the 10th
United States Infantry, now on
the Panama Canal Zone, to Mica
ragua to guard American lives
and property.
United States marines now be-
ing rushed south on the transport
Prairie, via Colon, and the cruiser
California cannot reach Mica
ragua for possibly a week. Dis
patches of last night and early
today pictured the situation as
being so acute that an immediate
movement OF a large force of
troops was necessary.
Col. II. A. Greene in Command.
The lOth, recruited TO full war strength
and fully equipped for campaigning in the
tropics u to be taken aboard merchant
ships In the harbor of Panama and rush
q. to Corinto. They will he dispatched
along the line OF the railway from Cor.nto
TO Managua, the capital. at points where
American Minister WeitZel and Com
mander Terhune of the gunboat An
napolis believe they will afford most pro-
fection. Col. Henry a. Greene commands
the regiment.
Allegations Of conditions bordering on
barbarisT and acts even worse than
those which took the troops Of the united
power into China TO quell the Boxer re-
beiiion have been received at the State
Department within the last twenty-four
hours. The deliberate murder of two
Americans. Dodge and PHILIPS. after they
had been wounded and were helpless, fol-
lowing the massacre at Loon August 10.
focused attention on the previous reports
OF burning of soldiers, starvation of po-
IiticaI prisoners held IL dungeons and
Uther alleged acts of cruelty.
Protection Urgently Needed.
The latest reports made plain that i'm
..lediate protection for Americans was
necessary and that IL probably would not
te safe to wait for the arrival OF marines
now ell route. The marines oil the Prairie
after being landed at Colon. will have to
be transported across the isthmus by raj
road and taken on the cruiser California
on the Pacific side. for transportation Il
Corinto That would mean "A delay OF
at least Il week. The 10Th Infantry car
be on tho ground in less than two days.
Gen. Francisco Altschu, the representa-
tive Of III. revolutionist junta in Wash
tugton. denies the char~cS of harbarit!
brought against troops tishting the Mica
raguan government. tie alleges that the
burning Of bodies OF soldiers was ncccs
,4ry 10 proper sanitation, and that u
applied alike TO dead on both sides. lie
contends also that American interests
would not have suffered II no attempt
had been made by American forces Il
prevent the capture and operation by the
revolutionists Of the railway between
Nanagua and Cor.nto.
The junta asserts that the railroad I:
!, national institution and should not bs
elassed a. American property. exce~' as
IL is being administered by Americans
- secure loan by New York bankers.
OenleS women were SQOt.
I.cports that women were shot are cen
dcmned emphatically by Gen. Altschal
s,uo says that the barbarous methods
W.rc employed by the government force:
when women We're sent 10 the lines a:
anmunition carriers.
Rebels firing upon flags OF truce borne
tv loyal Nicaragua troops as well n!
American marines Is said TO have beer
frequent within the last few days. New
attacks upon women and children ant
other non-combatants are reported. In
the rebel sheil.ng Of Managua during tn,
first days Of revolution, American VI n
lister Weitzcl reported that the firing ha,
been indiscrim!nate upon the section o
the city occupied by the -combatant!
and that an American collector of Gus
toms. named Ham. and several othe
Americans narrowly escaped injury b,
bursting shell
The United States is assured that The
landing of troops has the approval OF
the Diaz government. Following
further demand by Minister weitzel
upon instructions of the state De
partnent. that Americans and theil
property must be protected from tn.
rebels. the Nicaraguan government Il
billty adequately to meet the situation
and frankly to have consented to per
init the United States to land its
troops to protect its citizens.
War Rights Not Infringed.
The State Department has proceeded
ipon the conviction that it's action in
olives no infringement Of the war-mak
,nS power of Congress OF the President
officials point 10 the fact that ther
Z evc.} nnHr q whole regiment of Gnite
S,ntrs infantry engaged in policing tn
.hiu:-e ia iIoad from PekinS Ia Chm
Wang fan. Md. ar course. America
tr.ap. have been freely employed in ii,
tContinued pn Second Pas4)