Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-19

carious health (involving, indeed, two
major operations) since the attempt on
his life last November. The controversy
arising out of the London naval treaty
has fairly done for him. Baron Wakat-
suki was premier from June, 1925, to
April, 1927.
NICARAGUA-The situation develops
rather unpleasantly in Nicaragua. Seiz-
ing the opportunity presented by the
great disaster, the bandits are showing
increased activity. Apparently the Ma
rineS and national guardsmen protect
ing the Ocotal, Jinotega and Matagalba
coffee regions have their hands full,
and those at Managua are fairly tired
out; so the time was well chosen by the
bandits for descent on Puerto Cabezas
on the east coast. Report of April IL
told Of the surrounding by bandits of
National Guard attachments in the vi
entity of Puerto CabezaS and the kill
ing of the commander Of one Of them,
Capt. Pefiey of the Marine Corps The
measures Immediately taken against the
emergency were the dispatching Of Ma
rine planes with ammunition from
Managua (the beleaguered attachments
were reported shy of ammunition) and
the dispatch of the cruiser Ashevtlle
rs Marines aboard. The Ashevile ar
rived on the 18th after record run.
Report of the 14th told of four Amer
lean dead and three missing Gall,
think, civilians) in the course of the
previous "a hours, besides a number of
other casualties to natives and foreign
erS. There are or were about 800 Ameri-
can civilians in or near Puerto Cabezas,
mostly employees Of the Standard Fruit
q Steamship Co., which owns the Brag-
mans Bluff Lumber Co., and their fam
lilies. Two ships Of the company stood
by ready to carry away those who
wished to go.
The latest reports indicate that the
bandits have drawn off from Puerto
Cabezas and transferred their pleasant
activities elsewhere-to Rama, up coun-
try from Bluefields, and Cape Gracias
a Dios, at the very northeastern corner
of Nicaragua. Apparently they captured
and sacked the settlement at the latter
point and Withdrew. Reports of the
18th told of nine Americans killed to
date. Probably the toll is no larger.
The Marine planes seem to have done
some effective bombing.
The cruiser Memphis from Guanta-
namo and the gunboat Sacramento
from Balboa have reached Eastern Mic
aragua ports, and the cruiser Rochester,
flagship of the special service squad
ron, Is making for Bluef1eldS.
Despite the special measures Of our
Government to meet the emergency,
our lately promulgated policy as to
withdrawal of Marines is unaltered We
expect to have only about 500 Marines
left in Nicaragua by June next.
Here is news indeed. Our Depart
ment of State has announced that
This Government cannot undertake
general protection of Americans through
out Nicaragua with American forces
To do so would lead to difficulties and
commitments which this Government
does not propose to undertake. There
fore, the department recommends to all
Americans who do not feel secure under
the protection afforded them by the
Nicaraguan government through the
Nicaraguan National Guard to with
draw from the country, or at least to
the coast towns, where they can be
protected or whence evacuated in case
of necessity. Those who remain do so
at their own risk and must not expect
American forces to be sent inland to
their aid
This Is most important, not least so
in the implicati tons as to non-Nica-
raguan nationals besides Americans.
The old name of Puerto Cabezas is
Bragmans Bluff. 1t is near the north
east corner Of Nicaragua.
y X X
NOTES.-Nicolas Titulescu failed In
his attempt to form a Rumanian
coalition or Concentration" govern
ment, owing to the uncomplaisant atti-
tude of the representatives of some of
the groups concerned, and so an
nounced to King Carol. The resulting
situation is exceedingly obscure. The
King seems to have directed Titulescu
to form some kind of government, even
though under the euphemism of a
government of personalities" it should
be an approximation to a dictatorship.
But the Spanish developments have in
duced doubt as to the acceptability
Of dictatorship with the lieges.
General elections are to be held in
Turkey u the near future. -