The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-03


blooded statesmen of the latter bellig-
crent little nation swell with rage over the
.insult offered by the northern bully"
"A war cloud-on the map" siGnih-
cantly corrects an old Central American
resident and diplomat. lie follows up bis
contentious remarks by recalling lnnu-
merable instances of averted political
cataclysms in a land of many petty insur-
rections but few out-and-out wars.
That Guatemala is struttIng about with
metaphorcal chip on her shoulder Is
obvious enough, and that Mexico feels no
alarm at the prospect of having TO flip that
chip off seems equally certain
The interesting question IS, will not
Guatemala turn magnanimous and settle
the unplcasantness without compelling
her vastly more powerful adversary to re-
sort to arms.
A pity the marring of country that is
Gods own, as if the scourge of fever that
yearly whirls it's sickle along the strip OF
sea coast were not plague enough! Out OF
that deadly zone OF coast the great inte-
rior plateaus of Mexico and tho Central
American states are like fair islands out
of a noisome swamp. Mountains and val
leys, rich forests and arabic plains, tropi-
cal luxurance and temperate fertility al
ternate from ocean TO ocean. "where every
prospect peases and only man is'-well,
not exactly vile, but high tempered when
he is not taking his dolce far niente.
Just what would be meant by war be-
tween Guatemala and such other neigh
boring Central American states as might
Join her, on the one side, and big Mexico
on the other, il is interesting TO onjecture
at this time, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. The local representative OF
President Diaz may say it means for
Guatemala n head vastly more swollen
than at present, together with n pair of
eyes and other personal decorations of the
body polite; while the local representa-
tive of President Barrios may predict the
taking down n peg, accompanied by some
thing lik o n drubbIng, for Mexico. What
would n con sui general be worth who
could not or would not crack up his own
country? Besides, both gentlemen con-
TESS that what they don't know about the
others republic would pretty extensively
describe that republic TO intending set
tiers.
unique and picturesque war-if such
a thing as war can be picturesque
would be that between Guatemala and
Mexico. The naval combat, the lombard
ment of the fortress, the siege of the city,
the marching and countermarchlng of in
fantry on tho plains-all these features
would be entirely eliminated. in their
stead would DO guerilla warfare on n
grand scale-foot soldiers and cavalry
struggling together in jungle-chokcd
gorges of the Cordilera and drowning
each other in the hundred swollen tribu-
taries of the upper Rio Usumacnta. Such
n struggle would rather resemble the wars
of the Visigoths among tho Businesses of
the pyrenees in tho early centuries, or at
a later date the fierce fcuds that ragged
among the clans of the Scottish High
lands.
Mexico's three war vessels, the Zargoza,
on the Pacific side, and the Poriirlo Diaz
and the Independencia. on the Atlant c,
would be of little use for an invasion by
sea. In tho first place they arc mere
wooden transport boats by comparison
with modern model men-of-war. AS such
they would easily be repulsed by the
Guatemalan forts. Aside from this, OH
account of the shallowncss of the water,
no landing could be effected at tho three
Pacific coast ports, nor at Puerto Barrios,
the Atlantic port, except by lighters,
which would be without defense.
Thus the war would DO land war and
confined at first, at least, TO the frontier
between the two countries. Mexico says
that Guatemala is a geographical as well
as n political division. This is true and
quite significant. South of Nucatan,
Mexico dwndles to n neck almost as mar
row as the Nicaraguan peninsula. This Is
the Guatemalan border. As though the
lateral compression that made tins mar
rowness had squeezed tho mass upward,
the Cordllera rise IN lofty and lofticr
ridges, shedding tho copius rains that fall
upon their crests in torrential streams
that course mady down their sides, drain
ing n very Wild region clothed with valua-
BILE forests of cedar, mahogany and rose
wood.
A Japanese gentleman who recently
visited this region said of it that
nowhere in the world. not even among the
para1Ises of his native land, had he found
such salubrity of air or viewed as beau.
tIful scenery.
1t is in the heart of this domain, mid
way between the Atlantic aud Pacific,
that the territory in dispute Is situated.
The upper coniluents of tho great San
Pedro river. which emptcs northward into
the Bay of Campeche, rise here. One OF
the largest Of these continents is the
Usumacinta, which is formed by two
branches, the Rio Lacantum and the Rio
dc las Salinas. The triangular section OF
land between them is the disputed terri
tory, Mexico claiming that the Rio de las
Salinas marks the limit of Guatcmalan
possession, Guatemala insisting that she
has exercised jurisdiction at least rs far
as the Lacantun, if not farther.
Committees of arbitration have met and
wranCled over that forest-covered triangle
for something like 30 years. The fine
Spanish hand OF diplomacy has tried its
skill in adjusting the dispute. The word.
ing of the ancient grants and treaties
when Central AmerIca-aud Mexico as
well--was under the old captain-scueral
ships have been interpreted in every pos
sible way. Later treaties between IN,
two counties, especially that % 1so4. at tn,
time independence Of Mother Spain wa,
achieved. have been puzzled over, but al
in vain. In 1882 a so-Cailcd treaty wa.