Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14

Capt Richard Livingston, U. S. NJ. G..
His body tCaS found among 90 American
dead, SANDING told Nog0LeS. But here
rs the Marine captain at the Naval Hos
pifaI in Washington, very much GIiUe,
though grounded, and there mere 5
dead, not 90.
into the trap. They we're swept by rifle and
machine gun fire at Is yards OF the 800
Marines, so perished-the Sandinistas having
killed also the wounded who had fallen into
their hands.
ing ammunition, were captured by the Mica
raguans The American column retreated in
confusion, taking along 10 of their wounded.
Half a mile away the Marines intrenched them
selves, waiting for reinforcements probably.
Among the dead was found the body of Capt.
Livingston the leader of the column So much
for Paroles version of the affair.
RUT the Marines report that Capt. Livingston
is alive and doing very nicely, thank you
though he was wounded in the fight Five not
CO. Marines were killed, the records at Wash
ington show
But one of the broadest variations is found
IN Sandino's story of the battle on the Cocos
River, the last major fight the Marines have
mad IN Nicaragua. Here is Sandino's version:
a COlumn OF oUU Marines was coming the
river in five large barges.
After several airplanes had passed over the
Sandlnlstas without noticing them the five
oarges fell into an ambuscade. This happened
on August T. 1928. OF the second barge which
was allotted to Capt. de Paredes only five or
SIX Marines escaped alive by clinging to the OPP
poSite side of the barge
THE rest of the Marines and native rowers
were swept clean off the barge by Paredes'
machine guns. Some of the Marines had
jumped overheard and tried to drag the barge
ashore, firing at the same time at Paroles and
his men. But it was of all no avail They
were moved down to a man.
"Parades saw the first barge drift by rudder-
less. 1t had been also swept clear of its hun
dred-odd Marines. The third barge had suf-
Tered similar fate. The fourth and fifth
barges had suffered only few losses because
they had managed to land most of their men
before they had been properly submitted to the
machine gun fire of the Sandinistas
The Marines of those two barges after
jumping ashore, intrenched themselves hurried
ly in nearby ranch house which had been
occupied only few minutes before by San
dino himself. The Sandinistas, in the general
melee, tried, naturally to concentrate upstream
while the Marines-that is, those who remained
alive-assembled downstream The SandinistaS
lost four dead and three wounded; the latter
died shortly afterward for lack of proper med
ical attention. The Marines lost 100 men,"
ONE Marine officer said of this account that
lit would be less laughable if it were more
accurate" Marine records indicate that Capt
Merritt A. Edison was in command of this en-
gagement Of AZ enlisted men and one officer
1t was definite and complete defeat for the
outlaws, the Marines maintain, and Capt Ed
sons official report of his entire loss in the
skirmish was one dead AMI three wounded
In fact, the official U. S. Marine Corps figures
for casualties during the entire Nicaraguan oc-
cupation gave rs dead, only 81 of these as the
result OF conflict with forces led by SANDING
OF his subordinates
Other sharp contrasts like the above are to
oe found by comparing reports of the two sides.
And while there is expedience in Santinos
type of warfare, there is no hope of militaryIM
victory. If he starts again, he and his men,
with enormo"s reserves of man power to draw
upon, can keep On fighting and harassing any
sized force indefinitely
.I-I.A