Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-11-09
MEXICO AND GUATEMALA.
Nothing More Than n Vexatious Bound
AIRY Dispute Between Them.


AIRY Dispute Between Them.
WASHINGTON, October 30.-Senor Lazo
Arriga, the Guatemaan Minister, to-day
made a statement in regard to the po-
litical difficulties between his country
and Mexico. He said:
with the object of ending the old and
vexatious boundary question the prelims
mary basis for a definite treaty was
agreed upon and signed in New York
city August II, 1882, and the formal
| treaty was subscribed to the 9th of
| September of the same year. In the
preliminary treaty it was agreed among
other points that in the demarkation of
| the boundary line the actual possession
should be generally considered a base,
but that both governments by agree
ment could change the rule by making
mutual compensations, so that until the
! boundary 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 difficulties that would arise
should be settled by arbitration of the
! President of the United States of Amer
lea.
| 1.-THE definite treaty provides that
| parallel beginning near lXbul shall run
east to the Usumacinta river, if this river
were to be reached in that direction, or
the Chixoy river, if the former were not
in the way of said parallel. This par
allel did not reach the Usumacinta, this
river being north OF it, and according to
the treaty said parallel should have
stopped at the Chixoy river, but the
Mexican engineers endeayored to pro-
long it to the Cancuen river under the
groundless assertion that this is the U.s.
umacinta river, thus giving to Mexico
over 900 square miles of the Guate-
malan territory. The government of
Guatemala made a very strong protest
thereon, and the Mexican government
accepted its views on this point, although
under the condition that no other SINH
lar questions should arise. There were
no other difficulties in fact, except very
small differences in the work of engi-
neers, and this they think can be ar
ranged by themselves. In the mean
time each of the governments has pre-
served, according to the treaty, the do
miniOn Of the respective territories that
will be annexed by the other upon the
final demarkatiOn of the boundary line,
and the authorities of the two countries
have granted concessions to cut mahog-
any in said territories.
From an immemorial time Guate-
mala has been in possession, whenever
questioned before by Mexico, of a large
portion of the land located on the west
sides of the Chixoy and Usumacinta
rivers, and upon this territory being in
vaded recently by Mexicans the Guate-
malan authorities were obliged to expel
them and to protest against the inva-
sion, asking at the same time for an eX-
PLANTATION, but the Mexican government
now asserts that said territory belongs
to Mexico, evidently being misinformed
by its engineers. The government of
Guatemala had not then nor has 1t at
present any armed force outside of its
own territory"
Senior Arriga 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 war between the two nations is q
very improbable contingency, not only
because the present difficulties are not OF
great importance, but chiefly because
the treaty provides that all questions
incident to the demarkation OF the
boundary line shall be settled, as above
stated, by the civilized means of arbi-
tration. Should the actual difficulties,
he added, reach this point, the Presi-
dent of the United States will be invited
to act as arbitrator.