The morning call., 1894-10-29
WAR NOT LIKELY.
Mexico's Dispute With
Guatemala.
BOUNDARY LINE TROUBLES.
The Difficulties Explained by
Minister Arriga.
OUNDARY LINE TROUBLES.
WORK DONE UNDER A TREATY.
AS Last Resort the President of
the United States VIII
Arbitrate.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 28 - Senor Lazo
Arrga, the Guatemaan Minister, made
the following statement to-day in regard
to the political difficulties between his
country and Mexico:
with the object of ending the old and
yexatious boundary question the prelimi-
nary basis for definite treaty was agreed
upon and signed in New York City on the
18th of August, 1882. and the formal treaty
was subscribed to on the 9th of Septem-
Der OF the same year.
In tna preliminary treaty it was agreed
among other points that in the demarka-
ton of the boundary line the actual
possession should be generally considered
base. but that both Governments. by
agreement, could change any rule by max
ing mutual compensations that until the
boundary line is marked each OF the Con-
tracing parties should respect the party
10 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 par
allel beginning near Ixbul shall run east
to the Usumacinta River, il this river was
10 be reached in that direction, or to the
Chixoy River il the former was not in the
way of SAID parallel.
"This parallel did not reach the Usuma-
cinta, this river being north of it, aud ac-
cording to the treaty said parallel should
have stopped at The Chixov River. but
the Mexican engineers endeayored to pro-
long 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 Guatemaan
territory.
1.-THE Government of Guatemala made
very strong protest thereon, and the Mexi-
can Government accepted its views on
this point, although under the condition
that no other similar question should arise.
There were no other difficulties in tact,
except very small differences in the work
of the engineers. and these they think can
be arranged by themselves.
In the meantime each of the Govern
ments has preserved, according to the
treaty, the dominion of the respective ter
rtories that will be annexed by the other
upoa the final demarkation of the boundary
line. and authorities of the two countries
have granted concessions to cut mahogany
in said territories.
From an immemorial time Guatemala
has been in possession, whenever ques-
toned before by Mexico, of large portion
of the land located on the west side of the
Chixoy and Usumacinta rivers, and upon
this territory being invaded recently by
Mexicans the Gautemalan authorities were
obliged to expel them and to protest
against the invasion. asking at the same
time for due explanation, but the Mexi-
can Government now asserts that said ter
ritory belongs to Mexico. evidently being
misiuformed By Its engineers. The Gov.
ernment of Guatemala had not then nor
has at the present any armed force outside
of its own territory"
Senior Arrga believes that as soon as the
Mexican Government is informed of the
real facts it will change its attitude toward
Guatemala, and also believes that a war
between the two nations is very improb-
able contingency, not only because the
present difficulties are not of great i'm
p0rtance. but chiefly because the treaty
provides that all questions incident to the
demarkation of the boundary line shall be
settled, as stated. by the civilized means
of arbitration. Should the actual diff
culties, he added. reach this point the
President of the United States will be in
vited to act as arbitrator