Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-21
i. S. FORCE GUARDS
MANAGUA RAIL WAY
Legation Troops Move to
Fort in Strengthening Sup
port Given Diaz.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The American Governments deter.
mination to take a firmer hold on the
situation in Nicaragua Is becoming
hourly more apparent.
Without officially acknowledging any
intention to interfere directly between
the contending Nicaraguan factions,
the State and Navy Departments have
agreed upon line of procedure which
is expected generally to interpose seri-
Gus obstacles to the Sacasa troops
seeking to overthrow the American
recognized government of President
Diaz.
Not only have American Marines
and bluejackets taken over control of
the vital national railway from
Managua, the capital, to Corinto, but
the American legation guard at
Managua has been moved from bar
racks in town to Iona, the hill fort,
which dominates the city.
Fort Controls City.
In previous Nicaraguan civil wars.
possession of this fort has carried
with it control of the carital
The official explanat ton of the move
ment of the Marines from barracks
opposite the presidential palace to the
Iona is that ii was ''in order to az
ford better protection to foreign lives
and property"
The Managua command consists of
IL officers and 141 men, and 800 ad-
ditional Marines and Bluejackets
landed yesterday are either patrolling
the railroad or occupying the two
largest towns on the line, Chinandega
and Leon.
'All these measures have been
taken with the full consent and ap-
proval of President Diaz," said a
State Department announcement,
which added that the detachments
were landed and reached their destina-
tions without incident
Brig. Gen. Feland to 30.
The force stationed at Chinandega,
under COMMAND Of Comdr. c. NJ
Austin, is charged with protection of
the railway from Corinto to Leon"
1t consists of II officers, 270 Blue
jackets and SO Marines.
The Leon detachment, under Lieut..
Col. j. j. Meade, consists of 20 officers,
215 sailors and 235 Marines. 1t is
responsible for protection" of the
railroad from Leon to Managua. and
q part Of the original force composing
been assigned TO this detachment.
The entire force is under command
of Capt. c. Fl. Woodward, but upon
the arrival of the much larger Marine
force now under orders for Nicaragua
a shore organization of formidable
proportions will be set up under COM
mand of brigadier general of Marines,
apparently prepared to dig in and
stay as long as necessary. The COM
mander will be Gen. Logan Feland.
Called "Strangle Hold"
Already the Sacasa forces have
shown signs of growing pessimism,
and the agent of the Sacasa govern.
ment here has declared the American
troops were tightening a strange
hold under which it would be inn
possible to continue very long in op-
era tions against President Diaz.
At the time of his recognition by
the United States, Diaz requested the
Washington Government to directly
assist him in suppressing the attack
against his government. The State
Department made no direct reply, but
in the face of the present disposition
of American troops the capture of
Managua by Sacasa either by direct
attack or through severing communi-
cations with Corinto, appears to have
become a definite imposSibility.
Borah Attacks Policy.
Renewing his attack on the admin
istration's Central American policy,
Chairman Borah of the Senate for
eign relations committee told the
American Jewish Congress here last
night that this policy should not rest
Continued on Page 4, Column g.