Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-08
IN CENTRAL AMERICA
ARMY RESOURCES OF THE FIVE
REPUBLICS.

cally Able to Make Good Stand-yvhat
Honduras, Costa RIGA, Nicaragua and
Guatemala Can Show in Case of War.
The New York Suns Washington special
says: Although We speak of Little Saliva
dor, in comparing her with the more
powerful neiRhbor against whom she is
arrayed, the term is deceptive. Smallest
in area of the Central American republics
she certainly is, having length of about
ITO miles, an average breadth of 40, and
containing only 1928 square miles. This
Is but little more than third of the area
OF Costa RIGA, not much above sixth of
that of Honduras, less than sixth OF
Guatemala's, which contains 46,774 square
miles, and less than seventh of Nicara-
gua's which contains 51,660. Salvador,
however, is much the most densely peopled
of the five republics. While the the popu-
latlon of Guatemala at the beginning of last
year was l ,427, 116, that of Salvador must
have been at least about half as great at
that time, since count in 1887 had given
her 6G4, 513 inhabitants. She is easily the
second of the five republics in population,
and has for long time disputed the efforts
of the latter to leadership in Central
America. Perhaps she aspires herself to
be the keystone of the arch, holding an
intermediate position between the two
northern republics and the two southern.
She has double the population of Honduras,
which in the census of 1857 showed 33l, 917
inhabitants, and of course greatly sur
passes Nicaragua, which the year previous
was credited with 262,272, and also Costa
Rica, which about the same time had
213,7S5.
While these figures reveal the extreme
numerical possibilities of the five republics
for recruiting their armies, their existing
military forces show results relatively
somewhat different, in consequence of the
different degrees of Importance attached by
them to standing armies, and also to the
differences in their financial condition.
Guatemala, which has nearly as many peo-
pie as the four other republics combined,
has still greater preponderance in her
regular army, yet is not in good financial
shape for going to war. NORMALLY the act
i've troops of Guatemala are 10, 500 strong,
which would give about half as large an
army as our own; but actually the number
may be less. Her militia is put down at
&c, 900 men, and this force might fairly be
increased by taking in such numbers as are
wrongly ascribed to the regulars. Saliva
dor maintains an active army of only 1900
men, with a militia of $4,000. The reports
imply that she has actually modified q
much greater force than is ascribed to her
active establishment.
Honduras is said to keep up an army of
only 500 men, with militia of 5000; and
she is justified in mourning no greater mil
itary expense, in view of the condition Of
her finances and her large foreign debt.
Besides, since her policy is so closely
allied with that of Guatemala, whom she
is backing up now as in 1885, she can leave
to her more powerful neighbor the task of
furnishing the bulk of their combined mil
itsry resources. Nicaragua, which has q
special need Of troops in view of her rela-
tions to the er-oceanic canal, mainta ms
1900 men, with reserve Of 10000 more,
and a national guard of 5000. In proper
ton to her population she is in good mill
tarY trim, and, having a very Small debt
she is in good financial circumstances, with
excellent prospects in the canal. Costa
RIGA has 600 men on her active list, with Q
militia Of 10000. This little state has of
late years several times bristled up in q
belligerent way toward Nicaragua, in spite
Of the larger military force of the latter.
Her lats president, Gen. Bernardo Soto,
is probably one of the best of the Central
American soldiers, and took lively inter-
1 s.>k ho skovv Eos ~ <hn
having under him Caraxo and Fernandez
as general officers.
Should Salvador receive the hearty sup.
port of Costa RIGA and Nicaragua she
would evidently be able to make good
stand against Guatemala and Honduras
fighting on her own soil. Butthe question
of their attitude in the present difficulty is
not quite clear. They are likely to stand
together in most matters affecting the
Central American union, concerning which
they are palpably inclined to temporize
They supported the cause Of Salvador
against Guatemala five years ago, but Zal-
divar, who then successfully resisted the
invasion of Barrios, was, beyond dispute
the lawful president of Salvador, and had
been so for years, whereas Ezeta, her pro.
visional ruler now, governs in virtue of his
sudden overthrow of Menendez, who had
been his friend, and his title is not unques-
toned.
The Guatemalans aver that there il
now a faction in Salvador fighting Ezeta,
and that it was this faction, perhaps aided
by Guatemalian sympathizers, which was
concerned in the battle recently reported
They cite the fact that the commanding
general was Vllivicencio,a Salvadorian, to
support this view. They also speak con.
fdently of Costa Rica and Nicaragua unit
ing with Guatemala and Honduras in
calling upon Ezeta to resign. But in tha
they evidently take consul Of their wishes
Ezeta's banner is that of opposition t.
Central American union. Now, although
Nicaragua and Costa RIGA have accepted
the project of union through their re-
speotive presidents, yet both have post
poned until 1891 legislative action upon il
} for it's ratification or rejection. Costa
RIGA, however, has courteously declared
that she does so without prejudice to any
thing that may he effected under the pIa,
g. ,%.~+;,o rho machinery of the nniol