New Britain herald., 1928-01-04
Reports Hasvy Casnalties

| Reports 6aavy CAsualt3eo
 Mexico City, Jan. @-Pedro Zepeda, Nicaraguan liberal, today gave out . statement regarding casualties of American marines in Nicaragua Zepeda formerly repre- sented Dr. Juan Sacasa, Nicaraguan liberal leader. in Naxico.
 ZApeda said several hundred United States marines had been killed in tho past six months in fighting between them and follow CTS of the rebel general Augustine Sandino. He asserted American au. thorities were withholding the exact i figures on casualties although Ni- caraguan papers frequently printed stories Of the clashes and listed the marine dead and wounded.
 Zepeda said Sandino intended to draw the worlds attention to the fact that '"patriots arc still fighting American invaders" in order that tho question would be taken up at the forthcoming pan-American con- ference in Havana, Cuba.
 Commenting on the sending of ad- ditional marines and destroyers to Nicaragua, Zepeda declared the United States would not drown the protest of Nicaraguan patriots un- less the majority of Nicaraguans were first exterminated.
 Failure of the announced offensive against Sandino was forecast by Zepeda. He said that when the roads were dried out the marines would be able to capture only some of the rebel positions and this with heavy losses The Sandino followers. he ex- plained. would withdraw to the mountains and. uncrushed. would await an opportunity to deliver a blow to the struggling marines as they were constantly doing.
 Zepeda said he received a report from Sandino of battle at Telpan- eca where 250 of Sandino's men commanded by Colonel Francisco Mendoza exterminated a garrison of so marines and native constabulary. This was done, Zepeda asserted in a bloody encounter which lasted seven hours and during which several houses were blown up. The marines, he added, fought bravely until the last one was killed.
 sandino's booty in this battle was said by Zepeda to have consisted or four machine guns. f60 Springfield rifles, large quantities Of ampnunl- ton. 1T pack mules laden with clothes and foodstuffs. Thus, Zepeda explained. the sandino followers ob- tained the equipment and uniforms used at Quilali. ..-
 Dynamite Buried
 zepeda quoted Sandino as declar- ing that he knew he was wag'ng losing fight but that he had hurled several tons of dynamite at various points in the country to blow himself LID when everything was lqst-in or der that all traces of what Sand,no was should be lost to the marines.
 Zepeda said Sandino started ftght- ing for Sacasa at Puerto Cabezas with 15o badly armed men and at inc present time his forces consist of 15Oo men with the cream of the intellectual youth Of Nicaragua en- rolled among them
 The anti-aircraft guns used ps Sandino are Sandinos own inVennoh' Zepcda asserted. The results of the presidential elections next August will be mean- ingless as far as sandino Is con- cerned, Zepeda said. The rebel lead , CT will continue to fight until the marines abandon Nicaragua, he de- clared.
 Zepeda believes that the elections themselves will be fair. He forecasts a. conservative victory because, he said. the majority of liberals twill have been slain or driven to the mountains" by marines in order to insure free elections.