"An Honest Scheme"

In October Nicaragua will elect a new President, so President Bartolo Martinez, apparently in fear of the Imperialist U. S., decided to play safe. He instructed Senor Urtocho, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to telegraph U. S. Secretary of State Charles E. Hughes:

"Under the President's instructions, I beg to say the following to Your Excellency: Prominent Conservatives and Liberals earnestly de- siring international concord agree on ticket Carlos Solozano, Conservative, for President for the next Constitutional term and Juan Bautista Sacasa, Liberal, for Vice President, and ask me to receive and forward their wishes to know whether the State Department would look with favor on the alliance for the organization of National Government. This being an honest scheme I respectfully apply to Your Excellency with a request for an early answer. Distinguished consideration."

The U. S. State Department had the U. S. Charge d'Affaires at Managua reply:

"In reply I am instructed by my Government to state that it has no preference whatever regarding candidates for the high office of President of Nicaragua. My Government supports no candidate and is hostile to no candidate; it desires only that free and fair elections may be held in order that the will of the people may be expressed without hindrance at the polls. My Government feels that the transference of the center of political activity of Nicaragua to Washington would be detrimental to that Government's interests and this Government therefore cannot express its views regarding any ticket."