Evening star., 1928-01-15
BY BEN McKELWAY.

n NINETEEN TWENTY EIGHT is double
n election year for the United States.
" Mention has already been made In the
papers of the fact that somebody must
he chosen to succeed President Coolidge. Be'
fore the year is over considerable mention Will
he made in the papers the choice or
successor to President Adopho DiaZ OF Nlcara'
qua. In both cases the people OF the Uhlted
States will be responsible for fair and square
choice Of the successors. But there Is much
difference in the circumstances under which the
choices are to be made.
Last week Brig Gen. Frank r. Mccoy lett
Washington for Nicaragua. Under the terms
OF the Stimson agreement. Gen. Mccoy Is the
American nominated by President Coolidge TO
supervise the Nicaraguan elections. whlch laii
in October. And fundamentally there is more
significance in his departure than In the en-
barkation. few days previous, Of the thousand
Marines now Fastening to support theT com
rades in the pursuit of the versatile bandit
Sandino. A good deal of blood. and still more
ink, has been spilled over the activities or Gen.
Sandino. But the general cannot be regarded
as a permanent fixture in the Nicaraguan
armament. If some of his own adherhents
do not shoot him in the back. and If he man
ages to keep out Of the way OF Marine airpane
bombs, he will decide eventually that Nicaragua
is too hot for him and leave for other fields
Gen. Mccoy. however. goes to Nicaragua TO
carry into effect a phase OF the Central
American policy of the United States. Much
depends upon his ability, but more depends
upon the workability of this new policy The
policy may be the means of securing Nicara-
gua's salvation Ii will probably embroil the
United States in lot Of criticism. but in its
adoption rests the hope that it will demonstrate
to the world the fact that the ends sought by
the United States in Central America justify
the means.
ba SrSf tba States has
guaranteed to supervise elections in II free
and independent republic; TO see that the voters
given full opportunity to vote without rear
of being shot. imprisoned exiled; to see that
voter makes too many trips to the polls
and to see that all votes correctly counted.
There are some precedents for this guarantee.
The United States has supervised two elections
in Cuba and number of elections in Haiti
and Santo Domingo, but they were held when
those republics were in effect protectorates OF
the United States and their governments un.
der the guidance Of American officials. In 1872.
at the request of the Panaman government.
the United States detailed a regiment OF in
fantry to watch registration and voting there.
In this case the defeated party stirred up
great row, charging that the election was
fraudulent and scandalous and protested
bitterly against alleged unfairness OF the
United States. The success of the experiment
in Nicaragua. therefore when Americans will
be IN full charge OF the elections. with authority
10 enforce their own regulations, Is difficult
TO forecast.
Decision to supervise the Nicaraguan elec.
tions was an important part of the Stmson
agreement reached last Summer between the
warning factions of the Conservative and Lib.
eral parties when each consented TO surrender
its arms to American Marines and stop fight.
ing. AT that time the Nicaraguan government
had its back TO the WALL the reyolut!onists
were getting nowhere the country had been
laid waste by warfare and was bordering a
state of anarchy. Both sides were willing TO
submit their causes to election. each side
believing in It's own ability to win, but neither
would agree to an election unless the United
States guaranteed that II would be fair. for a
fair election has never been held in Nicaragua.
In return for the promise 10 stop fighting the