Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-31
BY REX COLLIER.

Turbulent Nicaragua, extending a
rugged arm into the Gulf Of Fonseca,
beckoned Americas President-elect to
her mountainous shores with an appeal
| that was not to be resisted.
Corinto chief Pacific port of the
physically and politically volcanic re-
public, lay 70 miles around the corner
| from Honduras, and the city's deep,
mountain thanked harbor seemed made
to order for American naval vessels. In
fact, two warshipS already were an
chored there-the cruisers Rochester
and Tulsa. It was a most opportune
time for the arrival of q goodwill
battleship.
If President-elect Hoover was unde-
cided at first about paying visit to
Nicaragua, the frustrated anti-interven-
ton demonstration at Palo Alto on the
eve OF his sailing must have helped him
make up his mind.
Nicaragua Presented Problem.
OF course, it is giving too much credit
to the Palo Alto agitators to imply that
they moved Mr.. Hoover to pay a call
on the little Central American nation
in whose political unrest the United
States has taken such an active inter-
est. 1t Is easier to believe that the
President-elect had Nicaragua foremost
In his mind when he first conceived
the plan for mission of friendship
Undoubtedly the situation in Mica
ragua was one of the motivating forces
behind Mr.. Hoover's determination to
get better acquainted with Latin Amer
lea and its problems.
Yet there were some persons who felt
that the inclusion Of Nicaragua In the
goodwill itinerary might result dis
astrously for the mission. Uncle Sans
activities in Nicaragua had provoked
much criticism from certain quarters
on the southern continent, and for Mr..
Hoover to focus attention anew on that
sore spot of pan-American relations
seemed extremely unwise to some OBJ
servers ..-4s@
Mr.. Hoover might find. himself con-
fronted with all sorts of embarrassing
complications, 1t was pointed out. Be
ing an ambassador without portfolio,
his position might be an awkward one
were he to be asked delicate questions
by Nicaraguan officials. It must be
remembered that the President-elect
was not empowered to represent his
country in a diplomatic way. Techni-
cally he was just private citizen, and
as such he carried only the regular
State Department CREDENTIALS pass
port book and visa papers.
It was the very fact, perhaps, that
he was just private citizen, unable to
speak for his Government. that led Mr..
Hoover to stop at Nicaragua and pay
his respects to the republic. His thirst
for first-hand information about the
nations affairs was overpowering. He
felt he owed his country the duty of
hiySrcAlf vfyikh Iin0s Re
pressing problems before taking over
administration of Americas foreign
policies. AS a messenger Of good will,
moreover, it would Ill become him, to
hide his face from situation that was
the most threatening cloud on the whole
horizon OF pan-American friendship.
Situation Required Courage.
There was still another matter that
might prove embarrassing to the good
will party. The Nicaraguan govern
ment had just changed partisan reins
in an election supervised by United
States Marines. The President and the
President-elect of Nicaragua were Bit
ter nolitical adversaries. Both would
be expected to join in welcoming the
American PreSident-to-be. How would
this problem be met?
1t took courage to steer goodwill
mission into such troublous waters as
these, but President-elect Hoover de-
| cided without hesitation to undertake
the maneuver, come what may. His
execution of that maneuver constitutes
really brilliant stroke Of diplomacy.
So successful was the move that by the
time the party was ready to leave
leading political enemies in the republic
actually were chatting with one another
over the luncheon table and finding
themselves in agreement on numerous
public problems.
But that Is getting ahead of the story.
The U. s. S. Maryland hove to in
the harbor of Corinto about o'clock
on the morning of November 81. The
rocky outlines of the Cordillera, as the
range Of mountains extending through
| Central America to the Andes is known,
doomed dimly In the. rising mists. Curv-
ing far away to the left Of the city was