Evening star., 1927-04-26

able to protect American lives and
property, I sent a force of Marines
for that purpose. Their presence has
undoubtedly prevented the larger
towns from being pillaged and con-
fined the fighting for the most part to
uninhabited areas. We have sold
arms and ammunition. as we did in
the case of Mexico. to the Nicaraguan
government. The revolutionary forces
appear to have received arms and Il.
munition from some source in NJ 60.
"With a hope that we might Oe
furnished with information which
would better enable us to deal with
the situation, / have sent Henry l..
Stimson, former Secretary of War, to
that country. Meantime, it is re-
ported that the government forces
have been apparently successful in
driving the revolutionists from the
field.
Not Making War.
"In addition to the private property
of our citizens, which is employed in
lumber and agricultural operations,
our Government has secured the right
to construct canal and establish q
naval base, for which it paid 50 ,00O,0 900.
Contrary to the general impression.
there are no oil properties in this coun-
try. Nevertheless, / have seen car
toon that pictured is as filled with oil
derricks. Our country consumes vast
quantities of oil and gasoline in its
use of automobiles, gas engines, and
oil-burning furnaces. If these prod
ucts are to be kept within reason
able price, which is very important
to great body of our citizens, our
people who go abroad to develop new
fields and to increase the supply ought
to have the encouragement and sup
port of our Government.
1--WE are not making war on Mica
ragua any more than a policeman on
the street is making war on passers-
by. We are there to protect our citi-
zens and their property from being
destroyed by war and to lend every
announcement we can to the reStora-
ton of peace. While the destruction
of life and property has been serious
enough, had it not been for the
presence of our forces it would un-
doubtedly have been much worse.
Toward the governments OF coun-
tries which we have recognized this
side Of the Panama Canal VIZ feel a
moral responsibility that does not at
tach to other nations. We WISH them
to feel that our recognition IS OF real
value to them and that they can count
on such support as we can lawfully
give when they are beset with diff
ficulties. We have undertaken to dis
courage revolutions within that area
and to encourage settlement of politi-
cal differences by the peaceful method
of elections. This policy Is bound to
meet with some discouragem ents, but
it is our hope and belief that ulti-
mateIy it will prevail. This arritory
is rich in natural resources and under
orderly governments is capable of
development that will give to its inhabi-
tants all the advantages Of modern
civilization. It is a curious circunl-
stance that some OF those who have
been willing to have US take mandates
over far-of countries in Asia. where
we have no interest that does not at
tach to all humanity, are most critical
when we are attempting to encourage
the maintenance of order, the continu-
itv of duly established government,
and the protection of lives and prop
erty of our citizens under a general
reign of law in these countries that
are near at hand and where we have
large and peculiar interests.
Protection in China.
Another important problem in our
foreign intercourse relates to China.
That country is undergoing a revolu-
tionary convulsion. It is broken up
into several separate parts, each
claiming to represent government,
none of which we have recognized.
Our main difficulty here is the pro-
lection of the life and property of our
citizens. We have many missionaries
there and some commercial estab-
lishments. We have nothing In the
way OF concessions. We have never
occupied any territory. Our citizens
are being concentrated in ports where
we can protect them and remove them.
1t is solely for this purpose that our
warships and Marines are in that
territory.
while this. process was going on
the unfortunate incident arose at Nan
king. One Of our citizens was murder
ed, another was wounded, our consul
ate was violater, and when the house
in which our people had taken refuge
was surrounded and they were actual
ly under fire it became necessary for
one of our ships, and one of the
British ships in the harbor, to lay
down a barrage, to drive away the
soldiers and the mob who were MAX
ing the attack and to enable our
citizens to reach a place of safety
on our ships in the river. We pre-
sented. with the other powers who had
suffered like attacks identic notes of
protest. to which a reply has been
which although nnnnilio fnTxy in
tone and to a certain degree respon-