Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-14
ARMS FOR SACASA
BOUGHT IN AMERICA
Records Bare Picturesque
Story of One Shipment
Cited by President.

SFNfI0l DADAih W Ah- Wa
NEW YORK. January l4.-Records
on file in New York City brought IL
lirht Yesterday the picturesque story
of one of the shipments of arms Ia
Nicaragua cited by President Coolidge
In his message TO Congress last Mon
day.
In the story appears a strong indl
cation that the shipment which ~ de
clared TO have been the largest sing
delivery 10 the Sacasa partN-was
made possible by American money.
The evidence is all 10 the effect that
the project was conceived and exc
cuted in the United States and that
Mexico and Nexicans had only an IN
cidental part in 1t. although it is said
this expedition was the one referred
to by the President az having been
'comman ded by Mexican naval re
serve officer
Early last Spring Or. 7. :. Na>a
of Philadelphia. personal representa-
tive in the United States of DR.. Juan
B. Sacasa, Liberal opponent of Adolfo
Diaz, who has been recognized by the
United States as President of Mica
ragua, began making inquiries among
arms dealers in the United States as
10 availability of rifles, machine guns,
small field pieces and ammunition. lie
was told they were to be had in prac-
tically any quantity. but that cash
In advance was the invariable rule.
Pays $1,000 for Arms.
DR.. Vaca didn't have the money. He
talked terms. but dealer after dealer
there are only four houses big enough
10 handle such an order as he had IN
mind-told him he was wasting their
time and his own. The inquiries COW
s~1 It LIS n nd m
Vaca came to be well known among
the dealers in Philadelphia and New
York.
In June DR.. Vaca paid another visit
to one OF the New York dealers. He
was all smiles-and money. He laid
down on the dealers desk approx
mately $2Go, 900 in bills. with a memo
randum Of what he wanted. The prin.
cipal item was 1000 rifles Of the mod
fed Enfield, or 1917 United States
Army model, chan1bered to take the
Springfield cartridge. He paid $50
each for the rifles. total of 100000
The rifles vent to Philadelphia,
where they were CONDITIONED" in a
well known North Philadelphia fac
tory. There they were turned over to
Nicaraguan agents after having been
boxed in small quantities and started
AVL Sio @HAOAA$0AA 0SANSA'
Shipped as Machinery.
Part of them went to Ell Paso. The
rest went to San Diego, Calf. In piano
boxes and in crates that bore the
marks Of agricultural machinery that
had formerly been packed therein, the
Ell Paso shipments were started by
rail for Puerto, Mexico. The San
Diego shipments Boon were lost, for
they were xcapturtd by troops under
Gen. Estrada soon after they had been
struggled across the border.
While the rifieg were being ICON.
ditioned'' in Philadelphia other equip
ment was being bought. This con.
sisted of eight machine guns and two
37.mm. field pieces. commanly known
as one-pounders. Although the money
for these was paid over in New York,
this artillery was got in Philadelphia
With the rifles, machine guns and
field pieces went several hundred
thousand rounds Of ammunition. All
was paid for on the dot with the
money that came into the possession
OF DIR. Vaca after the lean weeks dur.
ing which he had been seeking to
make the purchases on credit.
TrawIer Is Purchased.
When this had been done Ten Eyck
Beardsley, an attorney, representing
DR.. Vaca, formed the Amernic Cor
poration. This company bought from
McAllister Bros. the trawler Foam
which had been used some time be-
fore by a group of New York CAPT
talists and sportsmen in the unsuc.
cessful search for the treasure Of the
sunken steamship Merida of Cape
Charles. Va. &
The Foam was proyisioned, an
American crew was signed on during
the day and night Of July 2S, and the
trawler cleared light for San Diego
Calf, July 80.
on the Carolinas the Foam develop.
Cd wireless and chonometer trouble,
by the design, 1t was said, of persons
aboard. and she put In at Morehead
City, h. G. Here further provisions
were taken aboard and a passenger, a
man OF apparent Latin.American
origin, shipped for Puerto, Mexico.
Soon after the Ell Paso shipment of
arms had been transferred by railroad
TO Puerto, Mexico, the Foam there ar.
rived August ~. The crew was
ordered to make ready the hold for
cargo. and during the night of the
18th, rs soldiers went aboard and be.
gan loading cases Of rifles, cartridges
ana four machine guns and one field
piece.
Becomes War Vessel.
one-pounder was set up on deck,
The Foam, used by the British navv
AZ a mine trawler during the World
war, again had become a vessel of
war.
The American seamen saw they tried
10 leave the ship when they saw the
munitions coming aboard, but were
compelled to remain by the military.
Tho next port OF call was Progreso.
Mexico. where more food was shipped
Leaving this port the American flag
was lowered and the Nicaraguan
coiors were hoisted. The soldiers
flag.
4 handful Of soldiers debarked al
Tr.nzapolca, the first port reached on
the eastern coast of Nicaragua and
captured the place. Sunday, August
e, the expedition captured Rio
Grande, not far to the South and left
small garrison force with a small
supply OF arms.
TWO officers went aboard at Ria
Grande, joining an officer the sailors
understood was a Mexican.
The Foam proceeded to Bragman's
Rlun, where large mahogany conces
sions are held. The one.pounder was
brought into action and after a brief
hut spirited engagement the point wa.
taken. The Foam returned to Rio
Grande for supplies and then attacked
san Juan del Norte, where again tn,
large gun was used and the place can
tured.
Troops Start Overland.
The troops, by this time numberins
around 100, then started overland Il
Bluefelds and September Z the Foam
sailed to attack from the sea. a small