Evening star., 1932-04-03

Continued From Third Page)
stitution and the will of the majority
of the Nicaraguan people.
A single one of these consequences
would have sufficed to obstruct the
| progress of inter- American understand
| Ing which has been characteristic OF
the last four years. All Of them
| eontradicting the right steps recently
| taken and violating the promises OF
J non.intervention and withdrawal. would
have undone all the good lately
accomplished, and would have left
| very little standing of the new Latin
American policy of the State Depart
ment
Hence the rejoicing with which the
official communique announcing the
| departments position toward the
| Nicaraguan situation has been received
The refusal of the United States
| government to sanction in any way, OF
even to admit as conductive to the
welfare of the Nicaraguan people, the
plans submitted by President Moncada's {
representatives, is in accord with that
enlightened policy which the State
| Department inaugurated four years ago
And 1t will set precedent of in
| calculable significance for the future
AS a Latin American chief of mission
expressed it the other day in a cable
| gram to Senor Sacasa-the candidate
which the Nicaraguan people are sup
| porting Overwhelmingly against the
| Vaccinations of the men at present in
| power-"all Central America will
applaud" the attitude adopted by Wash
| ingtOn.
Test of Sincerity.
1t is easy to see why The Nicaraguan
episode" has served to test the
, sincerity of the State Departments new
Latin American policy. 1t has served
to prove that the United States
Government has really abandoned its
interventionistic regime of yesterday
It has served TO show that there is
today in Washington better under
standing of the iHernal politics of the
Caribbean countries, and greater
respect for their sovereignty and their
ability to conduct their own domestic
| problems
The communique of the State Depart
ment is particularly gratifying in this
| respect, for it begins declaring that "the
amendment of the Nicaraguan consti-
tuition Is of course a question for
determination by Nicaragua alone. "
This language. which should certainly
encourage those who have exhibited
discomfort and resentment over the
big brothers attitude, the "big stick"
| policy. the international police power
and other slogans of Rooseveltian days.
Then the communique goes on to
express the departments views on the
| matters on which its advice has been
sought. 1t first reminds the Nicaraguan
delegates that 1.-The present Nicaraguan
constitution contains provisions for
partial amendment which makes 1t
possible to amend the constitution with
out resofting to the extraordinary
procedure of electing a constituent
| assembly II such partial amendments
as are judged urgent by President Mon
cada must indeed be made. Later on
1t adds that "it appears to be some
what doubtful whether, in view of the
pertinent provision of the Nicarasuan
| constitution. a constituent assembly
could legally be chosen during the
present year.
1 Dangers Are Obvious.
OF course, what the followers of
' President Moncada wanted was the
calling Of the constituent assembly,
the only body which could take up the
matter Of his continuance In power.