A WARM QUARTER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 26, 24 September 1912, Page 4

A WARM QUARTER.

The frequency of the revolution in the South American States continues, and with the years much wisdom does not seem to' come. The real adventurer may still find quite a lot to interest him in such places as Nicaragua, for instance. The recent rebellion there ■arose out of a comparatively triflng

ministerial dispute which is described by one writer as follows:—President Diaz wished to dispense with the services of his Minister of War, Senor Mana, and after some anxious consideration he issued a decree upon ' the subject . But Senor Mana had no wish to retire frOm office, and he placed himself in one of the harbour fortresses at Managua, and said ( that he would bombard 'the' capital if he" was not reinstated without delay. A ■ heated discussion between the two ■ gentlemen failed to produce a ■settle- . ment, though neither the President nor the Minister of War was anxious to endanger his popularity by beginning hostilities. The United States

gunuoat Annapons was orctereel to the •scene for the protection of foreign residents, and the gunboat Vicksburg ■also anchored in Managua harbour. \ Senor Mana's son organised a band of enthusiastic partisans and captured the town of Granada, situated' south I of the capital. Then President Diaz,; in a discreet mood, asked permission i to hold a Cabinet meeting on board! the Vicksburg for the purpose of for-! mally expelling Senor Mana from office, j The American lieutenant in charge of! the gunboat replied that he would j rather the Cabinet were re-organised on j shore, hut he consented to place the; request before the Navy Dpartment in! Washington. The reply came by wire- i less that he was to use his own discre-! tion, and it seems that he decided to

bring matters to a head by allowing) President Diaz and his loyal Ministers' to hold a .meeting on the gunboat's deck. Senor Mana, "who was still in occupation of thc-fortress, was unable to interfere, but he refused to admit the legality of the unusual procedure that had been adopted in order to prevent him interrupting the Cabinet meeting with a six-inch shell. The last news from Nicaragua was to the j effect that a. revolution was in full swing, and President Diaz was still holding office. The American gunboats were attending to the preservation of order in Managua.