The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-17
CANT PAY DEBTS,
NICARAGUA MAY
SEEK U. S. AID

Managua, Nicaragua, March Il
A Blue Book, containing it's dipIo-
matte correspondence for 1914, just
published blythe Ministry CT Foreign
Relations of Nicaragua, diScIoses the
details of some interesting episodes
that bear on the obligations and du-
ties of the United States under the
Monroe Doctrine. They relate to
pressing and peremptory demands
11ade upon Nicaragua, by the govern
ments of Germany, Great Britain
and Italy for the payment of debts
due their subjects resident in Nicara-
qua, and the inability of this govern
ment to meet the requests. The con-
Guiding episodes have not yet been
published relating to the intervene
ton of the United States in the ar
fair, but are no secret.
The government of Nicaragua, owes,
and acknowledges, considerable
amounts to these foreign residents,
part for money borrowed, part for
merchandise bought, and q large part
for claims for damages to person or,
property. Two-thfrds of the floating
and internal debts of and claims
against Nicaragua go back to the re-.
gime of the late dictator, Zelaya., be-
sides five-sixths of the bonded debt.
Upon his downfall in 1910 and the
present administration it asked the
United States for advices and assist
ance, especially in relation to a set
tlement and payment of the floating
debt and claims, amounting on their
face to over 100000. The Amer1-
can Minister, the late Thomas Q.
Dawson, sent by the State Depart
i ment to Nicaragua for the purpose,
arranged, among other things, that
the government should appoint
Claims Commission for the adjudica-
ton and settlement of all the un-
fInafinp nd all
debts, foreign and internal. BY
convention the Secretary of State Sc
Iected one member, the president of
the commission, the Hon. Otto
Echoenrich, then a Judge of First In
stance in Porto Rico, who had pre-
Sious1y been connected with the
commission to settle the debts of
Santo Domingo. Nicarag qua named
one of it's leading lawyers, the Hon.
Carlos Cuadra Pasos, a man of judi
eia1 and equitable temperament. The
two governments were to agree on the
third member, and selected A. r.
Thompson .of Washington, who had
had experience in the Cuban inter-
Ventfon. This commission worked la
boriously for three years. examining
7se08 claims and allowing $1,84O,432
as just out of the $13,8O8,161 claim
ed. In other words, it struck out and
disallowed nearly six-sevenths as wa
tered.
( FWh6n Mr.. Bryan became Secretary
of State and had informed himself of
the situation, he backed this mixed
Claims Commission as strongly as had
Secretary Knox. By the end of 1913
the commission had nearly compIet-
ed it's work, but the Government of
Nicaragua, due to its distressing fnan-
cial circumstances, was paying none
of the claims allowed. At the in
stance of Secretary Bryan, in Octo-
Der, 1913, Nicaragua, keeping faith
with the United States, agreed that
the American Collector General of
Customs should allocate 20 per cent
of net customs revenues to the Claims
Commission for payment Of its judg-
Ynents, besides 100000 borrowed for
the purpose. There was $58,548 so
paid out of customs receipts before it
was stopped in February following
The commission paid the small claim
ants hrst-the poor people whose
horses, or cows, or utensils, or huts,
had been reQuisitioned and seized in
the various revolutions.
Nearly all the claims presented to
the commission We're by Nicaraguans
or. Americans The other foreign
ers for the most part refused to recog-
nize thee commission, aud some who
filed claims withdrew them at the in
stance of their Consu1s. Only per
cent. Of the claims were by foreign
ers other than Americans. When this
international Claims Commission be-
tgnn paying the small claims allowed.
the Governments OF Germany, Great
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