Evening star., 1934-02-23
Augusta Sandino.

Augusta Sandino.
Under highly mysterious circum-
stances, Augusta Sandino, former
Nicaraguan guerrilla leader, has been
killed outside Managua, along with
his brother and two Of his generals" /"
The one-time bandit chieftain who
SO long defied the forces of his own
government and the United States
Marines had come to the capital at
the invitation of President Sacasa to
discuss further pacification of the
country, but seems, under conditions
which clamor loudly for explanation,
to have been ambushed by units Of
the National Guard in the outskirts
of the city and done to death. The
whole story reads like an old-time
Chicago gangster plot, with the vic
tim taken for q ride" and then put
on the spot"
President Sacasa has been prompt
to disavow any government respon-
sibility for the affair. He declares
that the National Guardsmen who
felled Sandino acted lin spite Of
strict instructions to extend complete
guarantees of safety" to the late rebel
leaders group. Already there are sug-
gestions that the National Guard.
which was organized and trained by
the Marines for constabulary pur-
poses, Is in revolt against the Sacasa
government and is scheming for its
overthrow. The assassination Of San
dino and his aides may thus turn out
to be the opening chapter Of another
phase of Nicaragua's turbulent his
tory.
It is just year ago that Gen.
Sandino made his peace with the
Sacasa government. By the terms Of
their agreement, he retired with one
hundred of his followers to q CO.
operative farming settlement on the
Rio Coco. His men were allowed to
retain their arms for one year, and it
was in connection with arrangements
for their final disarmament" that
SANDING undertook his fatal trip to
Manapua this week
Sandino's fighting methods against
his own people and the Marines were
not always above reproach. but he
never lost the respect his adversaries
had for his bravery and resourceful-
ness. For years he was able to elude
suppression. Operating in. q jungle
country which was friendly to him
and his cause, he and his irregular
forces had every natural advantage on
their side. Posing as the liberator Of
Nicaragua from the oppression" Of
North American imperialism" he
swore VOW never to cease struggling
until the last United States Marine
was Withdrawn from his country's
soil.
Opinion will always differ as to
whether Augusta Sandino was the un-
selfish. idealistic hero-patriot his fol-
lowers devoutly believed him to be, or
merely a bandit leader in quest Of
personal glory and power. Whatever
the Judgment of Nicaraguan history
on that score may be, he will live as
a soldier of daredevil courage and
boundless ability in the face Of over
whelming odds. In the annals of the
Marines, Sandino will certainly be re-
membered as one of the toughest GUS
toners they ever had to handle. Not
long ago Sandino is said to have de-
clared that the National Guard was
an unconstitutional establishment.
scenting a possible revolt under his
leadership to destroy it, guardsmen
may have deliberately determined to
get rid of him.
President Sacasa has deemed 1t wise
to place Nicaragua in a state of mar
tial law. For the sake of continued
tranquility in that chronically trou-
bled land, it is to be hoped that
nothing will occur to justify the
suspicion that Sandino was the VIC
tim of a foul plot of which certain
authorities at Managua had more
knowledge than has so far been dis
closed.