Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-08-10
CENTRAL AMERICA

The Probable Scene OF Sensational Devets
Opments-A secret Alliance Has Been
Formed Looking to the Creation OF
Union of the States. with Guatemala Exs
crcising tho Dominant Inhuence-A Sig
nificsnt situation.
WASHINGTON, Ang. 6-Private ad.
vices received from Guatemala indi-
cate that sensational Developments,
affecting possibly the future OF Cen
tral America may be expected within
the next thirty days. These advices
state that President Barrios Of Guate.
mala has formed secret alliance with
Costa Rica, looking to the formation
OF union OF all the Central American
states, with Guatemala exercising tho
dominant influence in the new fedora.
tion. The first step in this
programn, will be the down
fall of the present Bonilla ad.
msnistration in Honduras and
the appointment OF his successor in
the person Of Marco Soto. This last
named gentleman is favorable TO the
proposition, and II the present plans
are perfected SO that he may. by
coup d'etat, assume the presidentisA
Office, the assistance of Honduras can
be obtained in the plan for fedora.
tion OF the FIVE states. and Nicaragua
and Salvador win thus, it is claimed,
be compelled to join with other repub-
lies as a matter of self-interest.
Marco Soto filled for number Of
years the Office OF president Of Hon.
duras lie owed his elevation to the
chief magistracy to the powerful aid OF
Gen. Rufno Barrios, who was then the
dictator of Guatemala, and easily the
greatest political and military force
in Central America. When Barrios
made war on Salvador. Soto refused to
cooperate with him. Barrios at once
melted a revolution in Honduras.
Through his aid the revolutionists
were successful and Soto was over
thrown. subsequently Barros was
killed, and his ambitious scheme OF
Central American union, with himself
as the central and predomnating
figure, came to naught.
The presidency of Guatemala is now
filed by another member of the Bar.
rios family, nephew Of the distn.
guished dictator. 1t is claimed, with
out any qualification, that, following
the example of his uncle he will again
use his influence to place Soto in the
presidency of Honduras.
Those who are familiar with the po-
litical conditions in the little Latin
American republics, say that a new
revolution can be easily started in
Honduras, composed of the dissatisfied
elements now out of power, with Soto
at their head, and that these, with
such assistance as Guatemala can
covertly give them, can speedily over.
throw the present BoDilla admins.
traton. The three republics OF Qua
temala, Honduras and Costa Rica,
therefore would practically dominate
the situation.
President Barrios of Guatemala, it is
said. is the more desireous of this new
alliance, inasmuch as at present Hon.
duras, Nicaragua and Salvador are
closely allied. This trio Of republics,
which are contiguous to each other
forms a geographical wedge, so to
speak, between Guatemala on tia
north and Costa Rica on the south.
Without the active cooperation of
one of the three it would be difficult
for Guatemala and Costa Rica to as
sumo an offensive attitude toward the
remainder. The withdrawal OF Hon
duras from the triple alliance and her
cooperation with the other republics
would give to the latter preponder-
ance OF power, the value of which can
be readily appreciated. To what ex-
tent President Barrios can carry
through his programme can only be
conjectured, but it is believed in Qua
temala that he will succeed in the un-
dertaking.
What renders his plan the more
feasible is the hereditary enmity or
lack of comfy at least, which exists
between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Costa Rica would, it is said. delight to
see her ancient enemy, Nicaragua,
humbled, as she would necessarily be
if compelled perforce TO join Central
American federation, the controlling
: influence of which would be friendly to
Costa Rica. Should Nicaragua, on the
, other hand, decline to join the union,
, she would still be at a disadvantage in
that she would enjoy none of the bene'
fits which would result from it. The
, situation, therefore, is pregnant with
significance, and future developments
are awaited with interest by the poli-t
ical leaders in all of the Central
} American states by whom the forego
ing facts seem to be perfectly under
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