Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
MARINES NICARAGUA STAY
SEEN HINCINC ON MEXICO
Latter's Aid to Revolutionists lndis-
putable, Says Observer, Predicting
u. S. Will Block Ulterior Designs.

pose in view, to place his case before
the Department of State and to ask
that in some way some pressure be
brought to restore constitutional
order in Nicaragua and himself to the
presidency. The Liberal party, of
which DR.. Sacasa was the leader,
was unarmed and powerless, but the
influence of the United States was
all powerful, he pointed out. He asked
that that influence be exerted to right
the wrong committed against Mica
ragua.
DIR. Sacasa it must now be eX-
planned, was the Liberal end of a CO.
alition ticket elected in Nicaragua in
October, 1924. That election was far
from a complete model of propriety.
but it was still the best election that
Nicaragua had ever had, and it's
choice of Solorzano and Sacasa had
been recognized by the United States
and by all the Central American sig
natories to the Washington treaties.
The head of the ticket. President Car
los SolorZano, was a Conservative; DR..
Sacasa being a Liberal, as has been
noted. This coalition had been ar
ranged in an effort to patch up old
wounds, and also to shut out Gen.
Emiliano Chamorro, who was running
as an old-time Conservative.
Educated i'm United States.
DIR. Sacasa's alliance with the pro-
gressive wing of the Conservatives.
led by Mr.. SolorZano, was an indica-
ton of the type of the man. Through
years past this kindly physician of the
old Liberal city of Leon had been the
leader of the moderates-the idealists
in a way-of his party, and some Of
the more belligerent of it's elements
have always held him in some suspi-
cion, for his father was once a Con-
sentative President of Nicaragua. DR..
Sacasa was educated In the United
States. speaks English perfectly and
with only slight accent and has lit
orally time and again stood between
his party and revolution.
During the Is years of the old vigil
of the American Marines in Nicara-
qua Q912-1925l DR.. Sacasa travelled
twice to Washington to ask the De-
partment of State to give Nicaragua
a fair election under the eyes of those
Marines. When he last failed to get
a favorable reply to his requests, in
1920, DIR. Sacasa none the less assured
the Liberals that the United States
would not betray them and that in
1924 a fair election would be held,
under the Marines. At that election,
although the Marines did not stand
guard, as had been hoped, DR.. Sacasa
was elected vice president.
When he came here, a fugitive, in
1925, DIR. Sacasa believed that the De-
partrent of State would help him
and thus end the period of revolu-
tons and dictators in his country.
The officials of the Department cf
State assured DIR. Sacasa that this
Government would not recognize Cha
MORO, but they said that he must
rely on moral pressure for the rest.
The failure to recognize Sacasa or to
povide means for him to restore him
self to power was, however: in his
eyes virtual reputation of the Cen.
trail American treaties, and was so re-
garded by many leaders in the other
Central American countries. DR.. Sa-
casa insisted that the Department of
State was failing to see the issue as
a unit, for, as he put it:
"A wrong may be committed as
surely by failing to do the right thing
as by actually doing the wrong thing"
That failure to do the right thing, as
DIR. Sacasa saw the right, was the
great wrong which his followers now
claim was the source of all the sub.
sequent difficulties in the relations of
the United States to the Nicaraguan
situation.
Question of Being on job.
But whether or not we today let
sympathy enter into our feelings in
the matter, the Department of State,
through the Spring and early Sum-
mer of 1926, stuck grimly to the prac-
teal phases and to the letter of its
traditional policy. Basic in that pol
icy is the rule that no President shall
be recognized in Central America Tor
elsewhere) unless he actually holds
the reins of government. Now, there
is plenty of diplomatic precedent for
the contrary policy, and perhaps d.
plOmacy was born back in the Middle
Ages in the dealings of Kings who Sc
lected their own friends for recogni-
ton as Kings of other lands, whether
they were, in power or in exile But
the United States has found that it's
wisest course has always been never
to recognize a President who is not
de facto ruler.
Under that code DIR. Sacasa simply
could not be recognized as President
of Nicaragua while he was at the
Hotel Hamilton in Washington, d. c.
He was told this, but he also was
sent word indirectly if not told to his
face by officials of the Department of
State that If he went to Nicaragua
and set up a government, he would
have very good chance of being
recognized as the legitimate Presi-
dent of Nicaragua. Certainly he
would have prepared the only pos
sible situation under which he could
be recognized.
There is no question that, prior to
May Is, 1926, DIR. Sacasa was in the
highest possible favor in Washington.
But he was still in Washington when
the first small revolution broke out
against Gen. Chamorro on the north
coast of Nicaragua, in March, 1926.
DIR. Sacasa did not respond to the
revolutionists' call to join and lead
them, but he sent a small shipment
of arms to them, through the United
States customs authorities, for the
embargo on arms was kept lifted all
the time that he was in the United
States. That shipment of arms,
aboard seagoing tug, entered the
harbor of Bluefields after the Liberals
had been driven off, and when it
anchored close to the American war
ship enforcing the neutral zone, and
learned of the turn of events. it was
allowed to turn about and put to sea,
with no interference or protest from
American naval officers.
But the Department of State would
not send DR.. Sacasa back to Nicara-
qua on warship, nor promise him
recognition before he got to Nicara-
qua, set up a government or asked for
it. DIR. Sacasa, on the other hand,
had no credit and no means of waging
war against Gen. ChaMorro. Finally,
however. he left Washington one Sum.
mer evening for New Orleans, where
he told his friends he expected to
take a ship for Guatemala and
Salvador.
Went Instead to Mexico.
Instead. DR.. Sacasa went to Mexico.