The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-29
THAT BOUNDARY DISPUTE.
No Reason to Expect Bloodshed Be-
tween Mexico and Guatemala.


Washington, Oct. 2S-Senor Lazo
Arriga. the Guatemalan minister, made
statement in regard TO the pollllcd,
difficulties between ms country anu
Mexico.
with the object of ending the old
and vexatious boundary question, the
preliminary basis for a definite treaty
was agreed upon and signed in New
York CITY on the 18th of August, 1857,
and the formal treaty was subscribed
to on the 9th Of September of the same
year. :.
I'm the preliminary treaty, 1t was
agreed, among other points. that III
the demarkation Of the boundary line
the actual possession should De gen
eralIy considered a base, but that both
governments by agreement could
change this rule by making mutual
Conversations; that until the boun-
darv line is marked, each of the con-
tracing parties should respect the
party in actual possession; and that,
in the event that said parties should
not agree about the total or partial
| designation of the line. the differences
that would arise should be settled by
arbitration Of the president OF the
| United States of America.
"The definite treaty provides that a
parallel beginning near Ixbul shall run
| east to the Usuma cinta river II this
river was to be reached in that direc-
ton. or to the Chixoy river if the for
mer was not in the way of said parallel.
."This parallel did not reach the Usu-
macinta, this river being north OF II,
and according to the treaty, said par
allel should have stopped at the Ch1Xoy
river, but the Mexican engineers en-
deavored to prolong it to the Cancuen
river, under the groundless assertion
| that this is the Usumacinta river, thus
giving to Mexico over 1000 square miles
of the Guatemalan territory.
"The government of Guatemala made
very strong protest thereon, and the
Mexican government accepted its views
on this point, although under the con-
dition that no other similar questions
should arise. There were no other diff
! culties in fact, except very small differ
ences in the work of the engineers, but
this they think can be arranged by
| themselves.
I'm the meantime each of the gov.
Iernments has preserved, according tC
! the treaty. the dominion of the respect
live territories that will be annexed by
| the other upon the final demarkation OF
THE boundary line, and authorities Of
1.-THE two countries have granted con
cessions,l to cut mahogany in said ter
Iritories.
From an immemorial time, Guate
mala has been in possession. whenevel
questioned before by Mexico. of large
portion of the land located on the wes
side of the ChiXoy and Usumacintc
rivers and upon this territory being IN
lvaded recently by Mexicans, the Guate
lmalean authorities We're obliged to ex
jpel them and to protest against the in
vasion, asking at the same time for {
ldue explanation. but the Mexican gov
ernment now asserts that said terri
tory belongs to Mexico, evidently being
misinformed by it's engineers. The gov
eminent of Guatemala had not ther
nor has at present any armed force
outside of it's own territory"
| Senior Arriga believes that as soon as
1.-THE Mexican government is Informed o
the real facts, it will change its atti
ltude towards Guatemala, and also be
Ilieves that a war between the two ma
lions is a very improbable contingency
mot only because the present difticultie:
are not of great Importance, but chief!
because the treaty provides that al
Questions incident to the demarkatio1
of the boundary line shall be settled a!
above stated, by the civilized means o
iarbitration. Should the actual Difficult
tiles he added. reach this. point TIL
president of the United States will b.
Invited to act as arbitrator.