The herald., 1895-02-12
TIE CAUSE OF THE Quarrel
Why Mexico and Guatemala
Are Now at War
THE REGION A WILDERNESS
A Tax on Every Tree Cut Started the
Great Dispute
nexican Aggression on the Territory of Her
Smaller and Weaker Neighbor In
Times Past

The cause of the dispute between Qua
temala and Mexico centers about an UNI
inhabited wilderness. 1t is the region laid
down on all old maps of Guatemala as the
country of the Lacandones, and until re.
Gently was supposed to be inhabited by a
fierce tribe of savage Indians. 1t lies to
the east of the great Usumacinta River,
and is drained by its many tributaries
under the name of the Chixoy. Lecandon,
Salinas, and Rio de la Passion. The
Usumacinta is the largest river in all
Mexico and drains more than half of
Guatemala. The early Spanish settlers
hardy pioneers who did not hesitate to
battle against the exuberant vitality
of savage nature, here planted set
Elements and persistently struggled
to maintain home and acquire
wealth. They found market for the
logwood, immense groves of which lay
scattered throughout the country. They
established cattle ranches in favorable
spots, but, unlike the ranchero of north
ern Mexico, whose cattle roamed over the
boundless prairie, their ranges were linn
tied to the extent of some natural savanna
or the amount of land that could be kept
cleared by the ceaseless efforts of their
machetes. They succeeded the aborigines
which Tabasco was celebrated and finally
turned their attention to the beautiful
veined mahogany tree, which grew to an
immense size in the forests surrounding
the sumacinta and its tributaries, says
Thomas r. Dumley, Jr., in the New York
Evening Post. The industry of cutting
and exporting this wood grew with
the development of the colonies. The
trees were felled near the banks of the
river, squared into huge logs and then
rolled into the water, where they were
made into RATS and tioated down stream
to the depot at Lagunda de los Terminus.
AS the industry grew companies were
formed to carry on the business by either
buying the wood thus cut and shipping
it, or contracting for men to go and cut
it. AS the scarcity of the trees became
apparent the enterprising mahogany-cut-
tiers unhesitatingly pushed up the tributa-
ries of the usumacinta into the unex-
plored country beyond.
The MeXicans who came to the region
not many years ago did not question the
right of Guatemala to exact from them
payment of $5 for each tree cut on the Rio
Passion, then undisputed Guatemaian ter
ritory. About the beginning of 1880 the
house of Sastre Il Janet, one of the largest
firms in Tabasco, sent representative to
Guatemala City, and there succeeded in
Obtaining from the government u monop-
oily of these valuable forests. Before tins
concession all opposition retired. The Mex
leans, thus driven out of Guatemala by
the monopoly granted the one firm, now
set up the cry for boundary line. Mexico
made claim to some of this valuable
country. There was talk of war, and old
Barrios, quick to decide, marched his
troops into Peten and then agreed to sub
nit the question to arbitration.
=, a treaty was agreed upon by which the
principal tributary of the Usumacinta
shItt lL la tnI tl,A Il t,v,l
between parts of the territory in dispute.
Prof. Miles Rock of the National Obserya-
tory at Washington was recommended by
the United States to the Guatemaa Gov
eminent as II competent man to make the
survey that would once for all settle the
difficulty. On the map of Central Ameri-
ca the principal tributary of the Usuna-
cinta is represented as flowing from the
high mountains of Guatemala, directly
north into the Gulf of Mexico This
marked the territory of Guatemala on the
old maps, and would have been all right
if the river as laid down on the maps had
been anywhere near correct
Professor Rock, at the cost of many
human lives, plunged into the forests of
Huehuetenangh, found what he supposed
to be the principal tributary of the Usu-
macinta, and followed it to its mouth
Upon emerging from the wilderness and
making a map of his exploration, it was
nnt IN nortberI,, iir .,.ti' ntdaiog
went east, and after a detour of many
,t,,r mI'ousn NY u,l1A lole'i country IL
iotH "pp1LoM,ii'a,eiy 10 us original
, ,,npti i.uJe' Wiz asalh loiloweu
'iG rhi ui'et ~ 1li.2 .ne tsurnaciiita
o,ni, SGre ene n 49, s .iie right 10
prnfns CO., Rnn,r .raou oa aorts' 10 use
a wedge inserted into Guatemala, to event.
uurs spii' ~ .ne ihoItierl part OF tnat
uJu, Esein VIII .,iis plg acquisition
wi ~, t, nae A Wotio optaln py mistake
90 ~ 1ne iiJw VI ;ae riVer, sile was hot
su,l t lniliie,lidtely tne cam was set
r; p y'" and tI,at t tI uAiioieo one wrog
river, ana tliat the Passion RIVER was the
cIi ciPal tributary OF the usamacinta.
inns Wouln extend Me1lco.s possessions
I,e 10 one lfontier OF BRUSH Honduras