The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-09
A President Gets InsOlent
"Then wander forth the sons
OF BeliaI, flown with insolence and wine"


So wrote Milton in Paradise Lost But Them
Milton is not the Associated Press correspond
ent in Nicaragua. Which complexities matters
In Nicaragua everything is now charged UP
to earthquakes. The story as told by the APP.
on April 9th lacked all intelligence in the reg
ular capitalist press, but we got hold OF
Spanish language paper which was not properly
censored, SO we hooked up with the following:
1t seems that at the ruined city OF Managua
certain lieutenant of the U. S. Marines, happily
bearing the name of Pigg, who for reasons
known to Hoover and with the consent of Sem
ator Borah, is-or rather discriminating an
armed force of another country, to wit, the Ma
tional Guard of Nicaragua, was on what Is
jocularly known as "a bender last SATURDAYS
night.
In the dispatches, this Pigg's condition id
set down as due to Severe tension due to the
earthquake" doubtless because there were many
unbroken and unemptied bottles remaining
among the ruins. Anyhow, he was admittedly
a little "off center" as the machin1sts say.
And in such unseaworthy condition, Pgg be-
gan to 'reprimand" the native soldiery of his
command-which is the inherent right Of all
marines to all natives, as General Butler will
testify. One paper admits, inadvertently, that
the reprimand was said with service revolver.
Anyhow the native soldiery replied with we'll
placed bullet and Lieutenant Pigg was fathered
unto Abraham'S bosom-providing Abraham can
stomach Pigg
His remains were also gathered unto nearby
house-Which had remained standing despite the
severe tension" which so affected Pgg. And
this house happened to be occupied by none less
than the president" of Nicaragua, Jose Moncada.
A Marine Lieutenant Commander, william
Half OLD Tho
heard the shots and, rushing around to the door
of the presidential residence, encountered there
the Acting Minister of Foreign Relations and
another gent who draws pay as Minister Of Public
Works. They refused to allow the Lieutenant
Commander of U. s. Marines to enter.
Whereupon he, also, it is stated, affected by
the severe tension" of the earthquake, kicked
them out of the doorway as BELTS Marine of
ficer, and stalked inside. But here again. a pesky
earthquake needless of the dignity of a u. S.
Marine Commander, had so went to the head Of
the President of Nicaragua, that Jose Moncada,
who owes his election to the Marines, up and
said: Il, senior, am President of Nicaragua"
Such insolencel The President Of Central
American republic talking back to U. s. Marine
officer! 1t was unprecedented
And precisely because it was unprecedented,
the officer didn't know what to do. He even for
got to reach for his revolver! So in remorse at
having forgot to shoot until too late, and in
demonstratiye protest at the injury to his dignity
and to the entire United States Navy, Lieutenant
Commander Hetfield threw up his Job Of "civiliz-
ing" Nicaragua for the National City Bank, and
took an airplane to the coast
Thus it happens that an Investigation is be-
ing made And we are certain only of one
thing. That is, that the Nicaraguan soldiers
who shot U. s. Marine Lieutenant Pigg or who
hereafter shoot any more Piggs, will not be for
given by pleading that the severe tension due to
the earthquake" had got them all excited