Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-21
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

"Such Intervention as the United
States has been carrying on in Mica
ragua" Is the way the Pan-American
Labor Congress heard the resolutions
offered by the Nicaraguan delegation
but then it became apparent that
such fiery resolutions could not be
adopted in that congress-, and so they
were referred to a committee, with
instructions to modify the language,
for the conclusion Of the first draft
was that there could be mo perma-
nent peace in Nicaragua while Ameri.
can intervention lasts" The commit
tee is deadlocked.
81 One would Judge from that language
that the United States had overstep.
ped it's rights and practiced oppres-
sive imperialism" in Nicaragua, such
as should warn all Latin America
to watch out, for the COLLINS soon
to get the rest Of Central America.
American capitalism stands accused
Of being the evil influence, and the
State Department, the tool of exploit
ing the little country which is so
weak as to be a temptation to such
abuse. What are the historic facts?
y \ X n
1t is remarkable how kind and
beneficent capitalist" is until he
loans some money, and what mon.
ster' he Immediately becomes when
he attains that eXecrable name,
Creditor" No creditor has any
virtues nor any rights. Uncle Sam
is no exception.
Space permits only a bare outline of
conditions leading up to the presence
Of United States forces in Nicaragua.
Ever since the Central American
countries declared their independence
from Spain, a century ago, revolutions
and international wars between them
have kept them in almost perpetual
turmoil and seriously hindered their
DEVELOPMENT and prosperity. The rev.
olutions were never popular move
ments expressive Of the will OF a large
part OF the people, but were factional
or even merely personal outbreaks.
A movement to unite the five Cen
trail American countries in a mutual
treaty to suppress aggresslons
among themselves and to outlaw
coups detat by agreeing not to recog'
nize any administration that came into
office by means Of force was inau'
gurated by President Roosevelt-the
great pacifist-in a conference In 1905
Since then every American admins
tration-those of Presidents TAFT, Will
son, Harding and Coolidge-has un'
dertaken to support that conference
treaty. and aid in suppressing wars by
showing that nothing could be gained
by revolution or seizure by force
without recognition.
X u X X
DESPITE the treaty under the Roose'
welt initiative, President tart hao THIS
to saw. in a message to Congress soon
after his taking up the Presidency:
"Since the Washington conventions
of 1907 were communicated to the
Government of the United states as a
consulting and advising party, this
Government has been almost cont1nu
ously called upon by one or another
and in turn by all Of the five Central
American republics, to exert itself fol
the maintenance of the conventions
| Nearly every complaint has beer
against the Zelaya government OF
| Nicaragua, which has kept Contra
America in constant tension ano
turmoil"
The agreement not to recognize
| Governments which came into power
| Nv force was never as effective as ex
| pected, for the old tendency to resort
| to force was not easily eradicated. Ir
a. book by Dana G. Munro, published
| by the Carnegie Endowment for In
| ternational Peace, 1t Is stated:
"The measure Of success which thu
work of the conference has attained
has been very largely due to thu
energetic support by the United State.
of the principles which 1t established
Sometimes North American
influence has apparently been the onl!
factor which has secured respect fol
the obligations imposed by the peac'
treaty."
In nearly every case which hal
been appealed to the Central American
Court Of Justice, established will
representatives OF all the Ave Contra
American countries, turbulent and az