The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-02
GO TO NICARAGUA
TO FIGHT NOT TO
WATCH ELECTIONS
Big Ammunition Cargo
Proof, Says Marine
Editor, DAILY WORKER:

AA0AbOAB 1'<A44A ~ O1NIAL4Ahs
I would like to tell you how some
of the fellows feel on the eve of our
departure for war in Nicaragua.
While only a few really understand
what they are going for and appre-
ciate the seriousness of this new ship
ment of / 900 marines, a large num-
Der are disguised with the whole bust
ness.
In for Fighting.
First, all of us know we are not 60
ing for the elections. Many among us
old-timers who have been in the fight
ing before, and we can see by the
speed with which we are being rushed
there, by the 20 tons of ammunition
which are being loaded on the Oglala,
that we are in for some REAL fight
ing Further if any of us had any
illusions about what we were going
for, these We're done away with by
Major Henry L. Larsen, in command
Of the unit sailing from Hampton
Roads, who has just stated,
eve may be used to supervise the
elections, but it is equally possible
that we will be ordered into the hills
to aid in the capture of SANDING. My
orders so far go no further than the
landing at Corinto."
So even the major considers it nee
cssary to show up the formal eX-
plantations from Washington, altho
none of the men have taken the cleo
ton excuse seriously from the start.
Friend Among Wounded.
One of my friends here had just
received news that one of his bud
dies is among the wounded men who
Rave recently been shipped to the hos
pital in the Canal Zone, and are in
a critical condition. Of course such
news does not help the officers in
keeping up the pretense that this is
Just game or a glorious adventure
which we are going on. Add to this
the many reports about marines sick
with malaria, and you can imagine
that the men are losing lot of this
enthusiasm which the officers have
been trying to work up.
We read yesterday in the latest is
sue of "Our Navy that seven ma
rines were brought into Managua suf-
fering, from malaria and other all
ments in a single day recently.
So you see, no matter how quiet
the officers are about the casualties,
sickness, ETC., ir Nicaragua, it is
pretty hard to hide the truth from us
as we are bound to get reports thru
various channels, and most Of the
men know what they are in for, just
as they know why they are being
rushed to Nicaragua: to crush San
dino before the rainy season sets in
Opposed to Job.
And while, as l remarked before,
hardly anyone is enthusiastic about
the dirty business, there are several
that I know of who are definitely
opposed to going to Nicaragua to
fight against the people Of this little
country in order to protect Wall
Streets profits and guarantee a
canal as part of the preparations for
the next world war. We haven't eX-
actly made up Our minds as to what
we will do when we get there, but
YOU can be sure that many of US will
refuse to shoot those soldiers who
are defending their country, and that
some of us may even follow the ex-
ample of those marines who had the
: CUTS to go over to SANDING. The letter
/ mailed and distributed to some of
the men here Wednesday put the
thing the way quite few of us feel.
III have to stop now, as the ship
is sailing in about an hour, and this
may be my last chance to mail let
ter to you without running any risks
MARINE"
Hampton Roads, March oath.