Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-24
u. S. SENDS ARMS
TO ASSIST D|Az
$217,718 Sale Was Made
While Borah Was ASSaiI-
ing American Policy.

By the Associated Press.
The American Government has
backed up its recognition of the Diaz
regime in Nicaragua by selling IL
arms and ammunition TO maintain law
and order.
The sale was made nearly a month
ago at the very time that Presiden'
Cooli6ges NicaT3guan policy was
drawing heated fire from Chairman
Borah of the Senate foreign relations
committee and other members of Con
gress.
Announcement of the transaction
was made officially by the state De
partment late last night. 1t said the
War Department had sold the IIlaz
government. 5000 Krag rifles. 200
Browning machine guns and 100000
rounds of ammunition. The price
was $217,71S. to be paid by a series
of notes, the first of which will be
due January 81, 1929.
Munitions Already Shipped.
The munitions already have been
shipped to Managua, the Nicaraguan
capital.
"They were represented by the Mic
araguan government the State De
partment said las being urgently
the country. and suppress revolu
tionary activities which not only
threaten the constitutional govern
ment of Nicaragua, but also the lives
and property of Americans and other
foreigners"
The department said the notes were
for IS 200 each and would be payable
monthly after the maturity date of the
first They bear per cent interest.
L.
upon which $170,5S5 worth of arms and
ammunition had been sold to Nicara-
qua in November, 1921; and that in
1924 a similar transaction had been
entered into with the Obregon govern
ment in Mexico after its recognition
by the United States.
Diaz Asked Aid.
While announcement of the sale was
made without comment, IL is recalled
that Diaz at the time of recognition
requested the Washington Govern
ment for assistance in any form that
could be extended. Nothing, however,
was done for a considerable time and
it was only after the Liberal faction
in Nicaragua became very active. par
ticularly on the east coast, that the
Washington Government established
neutral zones in the vicinity of Ameri-
can properties and other foreign hold
ings.
Contamination of the transaction
under date of February %. came two
days after the transport Henderson
had sailed from Quantico. Va, with
] 900 Marines to supplement Ameri-
can forces already in Nicaraguan
waters. and preceded by one day the
dispatch by Great Britain of q
cruiser into that area.
Press dispatches from Nicaragua
under date of February "a told that
the Liberals were massing their
forces for a concentrated attack.
! while those two days previous had
reported an indecisive engagement be-
tween the Conservative and SacassI
factions.
Deal i'm Line With Policy.
At the same time the administra-
tons Niearaguan policy was being
discussed freely in both Houses of
Congress, Senator Borah having pro-
posed a trip to Central America To
obtain first-hand information on con
tlitions for the benefit of both the
foreign relations committee and other
members of the Senate.
The transaction, however, is in line
with the policy of the Washington
Government, which has shown a firm
determination to back DiaZ since his
recognition. The decision to take
strong measures in support of the
DiaZ government, and apossibly even
the decision to recognize his govern
ment, followed the receipt of official
advices by the State Department of
the shipment of arms from Mexico to
liberal forces in Nicaragua.
1t is known that the United States
for some time has had strong sus-
picion that arms received by the lib
erals from Mexican sources were part
of those sold TO the Obregon govern
ment. but whether this is actually the
case never has been disclosed.