Honduran Manipulations

For some time the Honduran elections have been giving rise to anxiety concerning the peace of Central America. It has been charged that Honduran troops not only put to death some adherents to the cause of General Carias (presidential candidate), but crossed into Nicaragua and committed depredations in that country. The charges were subsequently denied. But there is no doubt that the elections have been manipulated.

The U. S. Government last week took the position that as sponsor to the last Washington Conference, at which the five Central American Republics pledged themselves to keep the peace by treaty agreement, it should call that agreement forcibly to the attention of the signatories. In view of the fact that a serious international situation was believed to be developing behind the curtain of secrecy dropped in the shape of a censorship, the U. S. Government warned the President of Honduras through the U. S. Minister that it "regards with disfavor any attempt of a Government to perpetuate itself in power except by accepted constitutional processes."

Later the armored cruiser Rochester, flagship of the U. S. special service squadron in Central and South American waters, was sent to the port of Amapala, Honduras, under command of Rear Admiral Dayton. The measure was taken as a precautionary measure against harm to American life or destruction of American property.

The opinion was in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, that the presence of the U. S. warship would prevent hostilities, which it was thought might have been precipitated by Nicaraguan sympathizers with the insurrectionists.