Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-18

who leave the United States for their
country's good, and they are always in
evidence In countries like this. They
like war and they try to bring it about.
not hesitate to cause rivers Of blood to
flow in order to get a concession. Just
one incident illustrates the source of the
popular anti-American feeling. The
usual crowd OF people were out for their
evening OF sitting on the dilapidated rail-
road freight pier-the only diversion for
the people OF the capital city-when an
American adventurer. drunk as a lord,
took pistol from his pocket and began
to beat native over the head because
the latter had failed to step out Of his
way. A crowd of native men and wom-
en- were discussing the matter a moment
later, and one of the men remarked:
THAT is the way the Americans feel
toward u.s.
There are some peculiar customs in off,
cial circles in Nicaragua. The legisla-
tive palace, which
Strange Customs also houses all
in Official Circles. ans m ministries ana -
the principal streets. There is a side
walk about four feet wide in front of
1T, and beyond is the street. which is a
sea of mud in the wet season and a
desert Of dust in the dry season. Yet any
pedestrian passing that way Is not allow
ed to keep the sidewalk past the palace.
A squad Of soldiers rudely step before
him and command him to get out into the
street. Likewise, when one enters the
palace on business. as soon as he has
transacted it and goes to step out Of the
corridor to the portico he must put on
hat L-oiI, do to-
or four soldiers stepping up and blocking
his way until his hat is put on.
There is no real effort at sanitation
anywhere in the cities of the republic.
Dirt and filth are everywhere, flies are
swarm1ng everywhere and the mortality
among children of tender age is appalling.
The amount of sweetmeats eaten by the
children is limited only by their ability
to scrape together centavos, seventeen of
which are required to make one cent OF
our money. These "dulces'' are prepared
amid surroundings where the meaning of
the word cleanliness is unknown. Such
thing as government efforts to regulate
the cleanliness Of food manufacture is un-
heard OF.
No attention whatever is paid by the
people to the principles Of humane treat
ment for animals.
Cruel treatment Although flies are
- IL. A.:1. 80 thick here, the
s~ tails of the horses
are not only locked. but when the horses
are hitched 1t is not by a hitching strap
and weight, but by having their fore legs
tied together with ropes. All oxen pull
their carts by means Of Jokes attached
to their heads. They are fitted for night
travel by having a little candle attached
70 the yoke. with small tin reflector be-
hind it.
On the whole, although the masses are
a peculiar admixture Of Spanish, negro
and Indian. in which the vices OF all
have persisted at the expense of their
virtues. they are lot Of people whose
condition cries out for remedy. But few
people who see them fail to reach the
conclusion that If there is any power in
the United States to relieve them from
the amending burdens Of war and pow
erty that power ought to be exercised in
some way. Secretary Knox believes that
with the Nicaraguan treaty an accom-
plished fact the United States could ex-
ercise it.