Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-04
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

1t has been 101 years since the
| project of an interocean canal across
| Nicaragua was first seriously discuss
| ed. 1t has been 10 years since the
United States concluded a treaty
with Nicaragua-the Bryan-Chamorro
treaty-by which this country bought
from Nicaragua for 100000 the ex-
elusive right to construct such
canal, whenever we found it desirable
so to do. The treaty included a lease
for 80 years, with renewal r1ght Tor
another 99-year term, of two Islands
in the Caribbean Sea, close to the
mouth of the San Juan River-which
river will be the route of the canal
between Lake Nicaragua and the Car
ibbean Sea. The treaty also included
a naval base in F'onseca Bay of the
Pacific Coast of Nicaragua.
The lease of the naval base in
Fonseca Bay was contested by Hon
duras and Ell Salvador on the ground
that their interest in the gulf was
greater than that of Nicaragua. The
case was referred to the International
Court of Central America, which de-
cided against the treaty, but neither
Nicaragua nor the United States has
ever recognized the jurisdiction of
that court in the matter. The naval
bases for protecting the proposed
canal are essential to it's safety. If
one could imagine the possibility of
Mexicos superseding the United
States in influence in Central Amer
lea we might lose those keys TO a
Nicaragua interoceanic canal. That
is one stake we have in recognizing
the regime of President Diaz, against
the contest ~of Sacasa, whose army
he IF
Nicaragua.
It is inconceivable, however, that
the interests of Honduras and Saliva
dor, or of any other Central Ameri-
can state, could really be opposed to
our constructing and maintaining the
proposed canal, or that our holding OF
the necessary base at its Pacific en-
trance for it's protection could be
against their interests. Under the
Monroe Doctrine no European ma
ton could acquire such rights.
Nevertheless, the alleged attitude of
the Gales government of Mexico in
aiding the revolution of Sacasa, the
former Vice President of Nicaragua,
adds complications to the Nicaraguan
situation, in which we are interested
in protecting American rights, prop
erty and lives.
Sacasa was Vice President when
Gen. Chamorro was President. Cha
MORO was forced by the Nicaraguan
Senate to resign, for he had achieved
the presidency by military coup d'etat
and therefore was not recognized
either by the United States or any
Central American government. With
his ousting, Vice President Sacasa also
was forced out and fled the country
for safety.
The constitution provides that when
ever a President or Vice President
leaves the country during his term of
office he automatically vacates the |
office. Now Sacasa CONSTITUTES his alb |
Sence as compulsory, and therefore |
he claims not to have legally forfeited |
his vice presidency, and that when |
ChamOrrO resigned he, Sacasa, became |
President. This construction is denied :
by the Senate, which proceeded to
elect Diaz President, and so the civil !
war is on, with Mexico recognizing |
Sacasa, the Liberal, and the United |
States, Diaz, Conservative.
X X 4
The international tribunal for Cen |
trail America is now out of existence, /
but there still exists the treaty made |
detail in the 1922 conference of the |
five Central American republics.
Article ii provides as follows:
Desiring to make secure in the re- |
publics of Central America the bene-
fits which are derived from the MAIN |
tenance of free institutions, and to /
contribute at the same time toward |
the strengthening of their stability |
and the prestige with which they |
should be surrounded, they (the five |
republics) declare that every act, dis |
position or measure which alters the |
constitutional organization in any of |
them is to be deemed a menace to
the peace of said republics, whether
it proceed from any public power or
from private citizens.
Consequently, the governments of |
the contracting parties will not recog-
niZe any other government which |
may come into power in any of the |
five republics, through a coup d'etat |
or a revolution against q recognized |
government 80 long as the freely