The United States and Nicaragua

Abstract

AS this manuscript is being typed news comes that Colonel Henry L. Stimson, as special representative of the President, has persuaded the Liberal revolutionists of Nicaragua to lay down their arms and cease their hopeless war upon the Conservative Diaz aided by the United States marines. The terms are reported to be general amnesty to all, some Liberal representation in the President's Cabinet, ten dollars to every man surrendering his rifle, and the guarantee of an election in 1928 supervised by the United States. The last provision may prove of some value to the conquered insurrectionists, although in the past supervised elections elsewhere have been more serviceable as a basis for action by the State Department than as a substitute for direct action acceptable to the defeated party. The newspapers report the Liberal leaders as asserting that Colonel Stimson announced that unless they ceased their turmoil their forces would be disarmed by the marines. Although this ultimatum has neither been confirmed nor denied by Washington, it is probably an exaggerated statement devised to save the faces of the Liberal generals, and Colonel Stimson is to be congratulated upon ending a cruel war in which casualties, in proportion to numbers engaged, were very high and which had degenerated into a guerrilla campaign conducted by roving bands. His task, difficult at best, was rendered almost hopeless because any solution he could suggest would necessarily involve the continuance in office of Diaz whom we had recognized as President. Moreover under the constitution, it was impossible to hold a new election before October, 1928. For these obstacles to peace Colonel Stimson was in no manner responsible. Recognition of Diaz, which has never been explained on any but tenuous legal grounds, seemed to arouse the Nicaraguan Liberals to an amazing degree of heat and for years to come our recent dealings with them will be used against us throughout all Latin-America.