NICARAGUA: Marines Rescued

When 39 U.S. marines and 48 Nicaraguan constables were attacked last week at the remote town of Ocotal, by 600 armed Nicaraguans, only one eyewitness came forward with a complete and factual albeit hair-raising account. This personage, Senor Arnaldo Ramirez Abaunza, chief municipal official at Ocotal, wrote:

". . . The hour is 1 a.m. . . . I hear shouts of 'death to the Americans in the streets. . . . Six hundred or maybe 1,000 strong, the forces of General Augusto Calderon Sandino surround the Americans under Major Gilbert Hatfield and attack from all sides. . . . The fighting becomes general. . . . Our constabulary fight bravely in the Municipal Park. . . . American sharpshooters keep the corners clear. ... A Browning and two Lewis guns rake the yard. . . . Anyone so imprudent as to cross meets death. . . .

"The hosts of Sandino sweep on, attempting to capture the park, to use the stone wall for protection. It is now daylight—the Americans have not retreated an inch. The constabulary maintain their positions. The American sharpshooters are piling up the dead.

"Sandino offers me and the director of police safety and protection if we surrender. I refuse. "Sandino remains at the entrance of the city directing the movements of his troops. He sends a note to the heroic Major Hatfield, intimating that as he [Hatfield] has no water, he will eventually have to surrender. Hatfield replies: " 'Received your message, and say with or without water, a marine never surrenders. We remain here until we die or are captured.'

"The Major and his gallant men are fighting like lions. The fighting continues. . . .

"It is 10 a. m. Two scouting airplanes are seen. They fly low and fire on Sandino's forces and fly away. We all know they will come back with more bombs and planes and the people become frightened. Noncombatants ask me to speak to Sandino, requesting him to retire for the sake of. humanity. This I know he will not do.

"Five airplanes are seen at 3 p.m. They approach in battle formation; then they get in line, flying low, and open fire with their machine guns. They drop bombs on Sandino's army, which now is beginning to retreat.

"On the floor I see a marine dead*—the only casualty among the Americans. I go to the constabulary. There is none dead, only four wounded.

"In the park and inside the houses are Sandino's dead. In one place I count 21 and I have not looked around."†

Responsibility. The presence of General Sandino in the vicinity of Ocotal with a large, well-armed force was reported over a fortnight ago by the Associated Press. Yet the U. S. garrison at Ocotal continued to number only 39 marines; and observers agreed that they would almost certainly have been wiped out last week had not U. S. scouting planes chanced to witness the attack by General Sandino and summoned heavy bombers from Managua, 110 miles distant (a five-day march). Who was responsible for stationing-so puny a U. S. force in a region known to be enemy-infested ?