The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-01-02
MARINE FORCE
in NICARAGUA
IS WITHDRAWN
End OF Occupation Coupl.
ed With Forecast OF
Peace And Stability

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.--(UP).
The state department last night
officially announced the ending of
the American marine occupation,
of Nicaragua and coupled with it
a prediction of peace and stability
in the little Central American
country.
Nearly 1900 Ieathernecks" are
now en- route home Or already
have reached here after an eXcit-
ing and sometimes hazardous ad-
venture in Nicaragua. chasing
Sandino's men and training the
native Guardia Nacional, now de-
pended on to keep the peace.
Withdrawal of the marines, first
decided on by the state depart
ment in February, 1881, brings to
an end a siX-year occupation OF
Nicaragua. 1t began at the close
of 1926 when Liberal and Con-
sentative forces started war
, over their respective right to the
presidency, and, in the view of the
state department, thus endangered
American lives and property.
During the height of the occu-
patton. more than 5000 U. S. ma
rines were stationed in the little
country, though less than half OF
that number have been there dur
/ ing the last two years.
On its more prosaic side, the
occupation was designed to pro-
vide Nicaragua with orderly, ma
rine-supervised elections and to
train a native gendarmerie capa-
bic of preserving peace in the tu-
ture.
Adventure, however, was not
| lacking. For the last five years
the marines have engaged in spas
Imodic warfare with that doughty
Nicaraguan mountain chieftain,
| Augustine SANDING. Many times
l nnarinesaarsa guardsnae!, Sheve t'''e ID
to track him to his stronghold,
! deep in the hills of northern Mic
aragua, but each time they failed
Occasionally SANDING returned the
attacks. swooping down on marine
detchmehts and ambushing them
in the jungle fastness.
So, in one sense, the marine ex'
petition was a failure. The ma
rines did not ."get Sandino," a!
they often threatened to do. And
the slender, brown little chief
tain-,a patriot" to himself and
some Nic&raguans, bandit tt
the state departments still al
large.
But Secretary of State Stimsou
looking back over six years to the
day when he, acting as President
Coolidge's special envoy, sat be-
meath a tree in the Nicaraguan
jungles and signed. with Diaz and
Moncada, Conservative and Liber
al chieftains, an agreement to su-
pervise elections and train the ma
tive guard, considers the occupa'
tions a success.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Jan. 2
| UP)-Dr. Juan Bautisa SacaSa,
59-year-old physician and former
revolutionist, became president OF
Nicaragua yesterday in a colorfu
ceremony on the slopes of the old
fortress, La Iona.
[ Simultaneously with the inaugu
ration it was announced all the
officers and men of the United
| States marine corps, including
even instructors in the marine
trained national guard and mem
bers of the Legation guard, would
return Immediately to their owl
country.
| DR.. Sacasa will be the first
president in six years to servi
without the support of the United
States marines. The several hun
dred marines babe farewell tx
their Nicaraguan friends after the
inauguration ceremony and pre-
pared to depart for the United
States by way of CorinO on th%
west coast.