The Washington times., 1913-12-17
NlCARAGUAN PLOT
SEEN IN LETTERS
Serious Charges Against Official in Previous Administration
Made in Communication Which Is Laid Before State De-
partment-zeIaya Still Remains in New York

Serious charges against high officials
connected with the preceding Admins
tration's dealings with Nicaragua have
been laid before the Department of
State in the form of a mysterious cir
cular letter, alleged to have been sent
to Washington from San Salvador b.
partisans of former President Zelaya
of Nicaragua. The letter is signed
Federico Penado" In the cabinet of
zelaya at the time of his overthrow
and enforced departure from Nicaragua
was an active partisan by the name
Of Federico Penado.
Officials OF the State Department. be-
lieving that the charges themselves are
without foundation, are inclined to
think that those responsible for them
are in some way connected with plots
begun against the present government
of Nicaragua at the time that Zelaya.
who had been in exile for four years
at Barcelona, made his recent appear
ance In New York city. When II first
became known that the exiled ruler had
slipped into the United States under
an assumed name the Nicaraguan gov
ernnaent made strenuous efforts to OBJ
tain his extradition to the Central
American republic on the charge of
numbering two natives of that country
during his term as President.
Although the extradition proceedings
were dropped on condition that Zelaya
would return to Barcelona by December
II, ana not. indulge in any further in
trigues, Zelaya is still in New York.
His counsel. Cory NJ. Stadden, of this
city. has promised the State Depart
shortly. In the meantime, Zelaya is
being kept under close surveillance.
IT is believed that the State Depart
ment In view of the circular letter
VIII renew its demands that Zelaya
depart.
Anaigns Former Officials.
The circular letter itself is a sweep
ing arraignment Of former officials of
the United States Government, whom it
accuses of promoting the pending treaty
with the United States for the benefit of
mining properties in which these off,
cials had direct pecuniary interest
Firstly, i may assure you," says the !
writer, that the present conditions in
Nicaragua are but the product of al
frame-up between Dollar Diplomats
and Nicaragua's degenerated sons for |
the purpose Of turning that country |
over TO Wall Street |
From that point the letter, mention |
ing names without hesitation, states |
that the present powers in Nicaragua
owe their elevation to previous con-
nection with two rich gold mines owned |
by the family OF high official In the \
Taft Administration and managed by a |
Pittsburgh concern. In 1904, says the 1
letter, when Zeieya was President, hard |
feeling was developed between himself
and the high American official In WASH |
ington on account of zelaya's desire to
exact some just return for the extra |
ordinarily liberal concessions granted to |
the mining company. Five years later :
the Washington official was elevated TOT
a ran wu-a A-h rr
he could influence the diplomatic rela-
tions with Nicaragua
About that time. says the letter, Ze-
ieya was Informed by a representative
Zelaya, did not keep hands off, with
regard to the mining properties in ques-
tion a revolution would be instigated
against him to set up an Independent
republic on the Atlantic coast, and that
this independent nation would receive !.
immediate recognition from Washing T
ton.
In October. 1909, the letter gees on to
say, q revolution actually did begin and i
was assisted in every imaginable way
by the Government at Washington. The
Nicaraguan federal forces, says the
writer, often found upon the battle
fields bodies with the tattoed marks of
American battleships on them" show
ing that some American sailors were in
the ranks Of the rebels.
6lAmeQ fOf hev0lutlOn.
II is charged further in the circular
that one Of the American representa-
tives In Nicaragua, who, it is alleged,
was himself interested likewise in the
mining properties. fomented the first
outbreak Of the revolutionists, inducing
the military governor of one of the
provinces to desert to the rebel cause.
It Is charged further that the so-called
loans made to the Nicaraguan govern
ment by certain New York bankers, |
named In the circular letter, are moth
ing more than the mere turning over to
the Nicaraguan government OF the
moneys previously collected in the
custom houses. for which
rate Of s per cent per annum is charged
by the lenders of the loan. III
These firms" the letter adds" have
a iso manipulated a money stringency in
Nicaragua, so that II is now difficult to
borrow on gilt-edge security and the in
terest charged is from III to 3 per cent
per month"
Says Treaty Is Opposed. II
Il beg to respectfully submit to your
sense of Justice" the letter concludes, |
the advisability of employing the
whole OF your personal and political in
duence to counteract that iniQuitous
treaty, against which the people of
Nicaragua and Of whole Central Amer
lea are solidly opposed"
Negotiations for the pending treaty
with Nicaragua were resumed after the
&sSH i