More Of Our Troops Go To Nicaragua.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 22, 1912:
Forces There to be Increased to 2,100 to Guard American Life and Property.
MENA SAID TO BE SEIZED
Fighting at Chinandega Continuous Since Sunday — Bacon Attacks Our Action and Wants an Inquiry.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Aug. 21.— The American forces in Nicaragua are to be increased to 2,100 marines and sailors within the next ten days. The Navy Department ordered the Prairie to-day to proceed at once from Portsmouth to Philadelphia, where she will take on board 750 marines from the League Island yard and sail for Colon. The detachment will then entrain for Panama, where the cruiser California will meet it, starting to-morrow from San Diego for that port. The California will take the marines to San Juan del Sur and Corinto, which are believed to be in great danger or attack from the rebels, and the American interests in both places are in special jeopardy.
    The cruiser Colorado, also at San Diego, was likewise ordered to-day to Corinto, and the cruiser Denver, which was on a friendly visit to the Pacific ports of Mexico and had been detained at Magdalena Bay to aid a wrecked steamer, is now en route to Corinto.
    The force of 2,100 men is believed to be fully strong enough to meet every emergency and to protect American lives and property. It is only a question of time before steps will be taken to protect the American railroad and steamship line between Managua and Corinto. When Minister Weitzel sent a message to Gen. Mena telling that American property seized must be restored to its owners, Mena sent back an equivocal and temporizing reply which Mr. Weitzel at once interpreted to be for the purpose of gaining time until the results of rebel operations at Leon and in other parts of the country were known. Thereupon, after Conference with the Nicaraguan Government, the American Minister, with the co-operation of the representatives of other powers at Managua, sent a note to Mena, informing him that in the interest of humanity and for the protection of the lives and property of Americans and other foreigners and the women and children of the country, Managua must be declared a place of refuge, and that no further bombardment of the city or hostilities in the vicinity would be tolerated. This action has the approval of the State Department and the President, and it is tantamount to a declaration that the United States forces, in case the demand is disregarded, will be employed against the rebel army. What the result of this action will be is uncertain, as Gen. Mena is said to be very sick, and the rebel forces are acting under several commanders and without a concerted plan, the principal aim being to keep the rebel army in service by the lure of loot. Here, however, it is predicted that if the steamers belonging to the American syndicate are not returned by the rebel Generals within the next few days the marines and bluejackets will be ordered into the field to regain the property.
    Senator Bacon assailed the State Department to-day for its attitude toward Nicaragua, declaring: that "the executive departments of this Government are now, in my judgment, violating the law by using the army and navy of the United States in Nicaragua." The Senator read newspaper dispatches referring to an "American collector of customs in Nicaragua."
    "When this matter is sifted to the bottom," he said, "we will find that this is the real reason for American interference there. Some time ago a treaty was negotiated between this country and Nicaragua, by means of which the United States Government was to furnish agents with authority to collect the customs of that country, and to use the proceeds to pay certain loans to be made by American capitalists. The Senate thus far has refused to ratify that treaty, and in my judgment will not ratify it.
    "I haven't the slightest doubt in the world that — with whose authority I do not know, but with some authority — there has been an effort to accomplish without law that for which they failed to secure by law. They are trying to use the army and navy, of the United States to accomplish that which we have specifically refused to give them authority to do. I believe that this is a proper subject for investigation by the Senate."
    A resolution to that effect was referred to a committee to report upon the probable expense.