Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-12-12
THE CARIBBEAN PROBLEM
1.-The American Flag in
the South Seas.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

The Central American state of Mica
ragua, which experienced twenty wars
and revolutions in the twenty years
preceding 1913, has enjoyed peace, in
terrupted only by a few bandit out
breaks, since the latter date. Three
years ago it took about sixteen pesos
of Nicaraguan paper currency to buy
one good American dollar; now the ma
tional currency is almost on gold
basis. Despite plaques of grasshop-
pers, droughts and business disturb
ward prosperity.
The prime reason for this state of
affairs is that force of about 100
American marines, automatically
known as the legation guard, is camp
ed near the Nicaraguan white house,
and that the joint commission, having
two American members, has just fin
ished adjusting the claims and conces-
sions of the Nicaraguan government.
The Nicaraguans know that the ma
rines will suppress any disturba nee
which threatens American lives or
property. Wherefore there is no revo-
luton. and Nicaragua enjoys the
unique experience of having a COM
eral successive years
NO friction arises out of this arrange
ment. The American marines are quar-
tered in part of large park, the rest
of which is occupied by the Nicaraguan
army. The two forces live on terms
or the greatest amity, and play base
ball together regularly. Furthermore,
the propinquity has resulted in an al
most startling Improvement in the ap-
pearance of the Nicaraguan army. The
native soldiers are initiating the Ameri-
cans in every respect. The starch-col-
Jared, well brushed uniform and neat
ly shined shoe have made peaceful
conquest of the Nicaraguan army
This Nicaraguan situation is not bad
in itself. but it lacks the element of
permanence. We
Lacks Element have no treaty with
en Nicaragua which
VI 1efmanence. permits US to pre-
vent disturbances there with armed
force. The status of our marines at
Managua is a bit hard to define. Fur
thermore, the situation is complicated
by the fact that treaty of great i'm
portance to the American people be-
tween the United States and Nicaragua
is now pending, and will in all proba-
bility be voted upon by the, present
Congress.
This treaty provides that the United
States shall control the Nicaraguan ca
nal route, which is absolutely necessary
to protect our Panama canal from the
possibility of competition. The treaty
also provides that we shall have
enough Nicaraguan territory on Fon-
SEGA bay to establish a naval base, and
this establishment will be an important
q 1aF apf in 10
tional defense.
Meantime the somewhat unofficial
status of our marines in Nicaragua has
not been overlooked by the enemies of
American influence in Latin America
All reports indicate that the mass of
the Nicaraguan people are friendly to
Americans, but the professional politi-
clans and revolutionistS of the liberal
party. which is out of power, are using
the American protectorate as an arsu-
ment against their opponents and
against the ratification of the treaty.
their little political newspa-
pers those liberals are shouting to the
people that the eagle of the north has
stuck it's claws into Nicaragua and that
all patriots should rise up and resist
This brand of eloquence does not have
much effect in any quarter. but the as
sertion that the
Has Little Effect United States is
about to make
In ANY Quarter. treaty with a gov
eminent which is under United States
control has gained a sympathetic hear
ing both in Nicaragua and in this coun-
try The liberals assert that if fair
election We're held tomorrow the DiaZ
which they claim the
United States set up, would be defeated.
This is hard to prove. because a fair
election is almost unknown in Mica
aqua, but it is certain that the lib
erals are a strong party and that the
Diaz regime, even with American sup
port, has been far from ideal.
This. then, is the dilemma. If we keep
our marines in Nicaragua, pass our
treaty and establish our naval base on /,
Fonseca bay, there will be vociferous !
protest on the ground that we have
forced the treaty down Nicaragua's |
throat to gain our own advantage, al |
though it cannot be denied that Mica |
ragua would also gain. On the other |
hand, if we withdraw our marines we |
invite almost certain revolution and /
Many lives will be lost, |
and the era of prosperity just budding
to a disastrous end. Furthermore
and this is the real joker in the Carib-
bean pack-American lives and prop
erty will again be endangered, and
again we will almost certainly be-
forced to intervene.
For all of these reasons. what we
do in Nicaragua is of prime Importance |
both to US and to the Nicaraguans. But
our action will also have an important
bearing upon an issue far larger than
the possession of a naval base and a
canal route by the United States.
*
For Nicaragua is not an isolated !
case. few months ago Haiti got
herself into a
U. 6. tn Sunervise complicated mud
49, "a. die of bloodshed
oAoAiS VI 4AoA'A' and revo luton,
md only few days ago the Haitian