Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-15
EsPINOsA ISSUES PROTEST.
Sacasa's Foreign Minister Sends Letter
to Kellogg.


NEW YORK, January Is CP).-A
| COW of a letter, under date of Deem
! Der "a last, sent to Secretary of State
| Kellogg from Puerto CabeZas by Ro
| dolfo Espinosa, minister of foreign
affairs of the liberal government sci
| up there under Juan B. Sacasa, has
| been received by the Associated Press
This letter, after outlining in detail
J the attitude of the liberal government
| and it's reaction to the landing of the
| United States forces on Nicaraguar
| territory, makes energetic protest, iii
! the name of the people and the gov
! eminent of Nicaragua" against the
/ actions of the United States, and eX
presses the hope that guided by rea
| son and Justice your illustrious gov
! ernnent will order the necessary
rectification, which will rebound tC
the prestige and honor of the great
American democracy"
Traces Sacasa's Rise.
Espinosa tells how DIR. Sacasa
vice president-elect of Nicaragua fol
the period beginning January 1, 1925
/ and terminating January j, 1929
assumed in Puerto Cabezas the eXecu
tive power Of the republic and or
/
sides in the name of the constitution
and by the expressed will of the
Nicaraguan public"
Then he describes how on December
% the warships Cleveland and Denver
without precedent or permit of any
kind, violently disembarked the
! regular armed forces of American
Marines and occupied this city and the
provisional residence of the President.
| When, after President Sacasa hac
made verbal protestation, commits
sion of the liberal government formal
| ly delivered the protest of the govern
ment and the people of Nicaragua
against an outrage for which there Is
| no name" and requested an explana
| ton, the letter says, 1.-The captain o
the Cleveland explained that he merely
obeyed the orders of Rear Admira
| Latimer and that he was only estab
| fishing a neutral zone
"Warships Trained Guns"
| Espinosa explains that while this
| commission was being told that Df
Sacasa and the members of his gov
eminent would be able to use the
wireless station to send messages In
Spanish and English, but not in code
the Marines, (which numbered IN tins
0elRnDO1nOOu
patrols, surrounded the presidential
| house. which was guarded by 90 men
and the two warships had their guns
| trained toward the government house
and the military barracks, where 9
small Nicaraguan garrison was
| housed"
This morning December 24),' the
| letter continues, 1.-The wireless office
| rejected some messages in Spanish
relative to these events, addressed Il
the director of the Pan-America1
| Union in Washington and to the rep
resentative of our constitutional gov
eminent in Costa Rica.
"At the same time and under thu
same conditions about 800 American
marines landed at Rio Grande, a
which place the government held par
| of it's war material guarded by gar
rison of 80 men. They declared thl
| territory a neutral zone, diSarmed TN
| soldiers and appropriated by violence
| the war material there. 1t must b'
stated here that at that moment thu
| main force of our army was engaged
in decisive battle at Pearl Lagoon
where the constitutional arms won al
almost complete triumph.
Restrictions Are Imposed"
events will serve to bring to you
mind the conviction that the Amer
lean forces, which. without any right
have occupied this city Puert'
Cabezas) and Rio Grande, have VIC
| lated Nicaraguan sovereignty, no
only overrunning the territory OF tn
republic, but also imposing restric
tons on the highest functionary o
| state, who represents the nationa
dignity, since he was elected by tn
| free vote of the people i'll full eXer
else of their inalienable rights"
Espinosa tells how as a member o
the Liberal delegation in the peace
| conferences aboard the Denver, a
Corinto between the Liberals ant
| Conservatives, he heard Lawrence
| Dennis, the American charge DAT
fairies, declare many times that thu
! United States would observe an i'm
partial attitude and would not inter
| Vene in favor of any of the factions
fighting in Nicaragua, because it wa
domestic affair to be decided ex
clusive,y by Nicaragua.
However" he adds, these acts ar
not new, for in 1912 American marines
invaded the country to sustain Adolf
Diaz in the presidency against tn
| national will. With the repetition o
Intervention. requested by the SAM
Senior DaZ, and to sustain him anew
as President against the constitution
and against public opinion, the tim
has arrived to define once for all wha
is the international status of Mica
| ragua.
SIS it a free, sovereign and indie
pendent nation, capable of maintain