No War

President Calvin Coolidge appeared to Nicaraguans last week to have assumed frankly and even conscientiously the role of Dictator in Nicaraguan affairs. The President's personal representative in Nicaragua (TIME, April 18), one-time Secretary of War Henry Lewis Stimson, conferred with the leaders of both warring Nicaraguan factions and meted out to them peace terms.

Nicaraguan President Adolfo Diaz, recognized by the U. S., has been consistently in such close harmony with U. S. nationals that he obtained last March a loan of $1,000,000 from the Manhattan firms of J. & W. Seligman & Co., and the Guaranty Trust Co. Therefore, last week it was only necessary for Presidential Representative Stimson to be firm with the Liberal faction of Nicaragua, whose President, Dr. Juan B. Sacasa, has been recognized as President of Nicaragua by the Mexican Government and has been declared to be the rightful holder of this office by the Chairman of the U. S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, Senator William E. Borah null Jan. 17).

Accordingly, Mr. Stimson conferred with the Liberal military leader, General Jose Maria Moncada last week at Tipitapa, while some 50 U. S. marines stood guard. Next day General Moncada made public the following letter:

"Dear General Moncada:

"Confirming our conversation of this morning, I have the honor to inform you that I am authorized to say that the President of the United States intends to accept the request of the [Diaz] Nicaraguan Government to supervise the elections of 1928; that retention of President Diaz during the remainder of his term is regarded as necessary for the proper and successful conduct of such elections, and that the forces of the United States will be authorized to accept the custody of the arms of those willing to lay them down, including the Government's and to disarm forcibly those who will not do so.

"Very respectfully,"

(Signed) HENRY L. STIMSON

General Moncada then informed the Associated Press that, since the U. S. was threatening to disarm his troops by force, he would do all in his power to persuade his men to hand over their arms to U. S. marines without fighting.

The Nicaraguan War had been squelched.