The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-08-10
CENTRAL

The Probable Scene of Sensational DPveI
oPments-A Secret Alliance Has Beer
Formed Looking TO the Creation of 8
Union of the States, with Guatemala Ex'
ercising the Dominant Infuence-A Sig.
nificant Situation.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-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 a secret alliance with
Costa Rica, looking to the formation
of a union of all the Central American
states, with Guatemala exercising the
dominant influence in the new fedora
ton. The first step in this
programme will be the down
fall of the present BoniIla adj
m~inistration in Honduras and
the appointment of his successor in
the person of Marco Soto. This last
named gentleman is favorable to the
proposition, and if the present plans
are perfected so hat he may, by a
coup d'etat. assume the presidential
office, the assistance of Honduras can
be obtained in the plan for a fedora.
ton of the five states, and Nicaragua
and Salvador will thus, it is claimed,
be compelled to join with other repub-
lies as a matter of self-intereSt.
Marco Soto filled for a number of
years the office of president of Hon
duraS. He owed his elevation to the
chief magistracy to the powerful aid of
Ten. Rutno 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 Il revolution in Honduras.
Through his aid the rev~olutionists
were successful and Soto was over
thrown. subsequently BarriOS was
killed, and his ambitious scheme of a
Central American union, with himself
as the central and predominating
figure, came to naught.
The presidency of Guatemala IS now
filed by another member of the Bar
rios family, a nephew of the distin-
guished dictator. 1t is claimed, with
ont 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 DO
litical conditions in the little Latin
American republics, say that IL new
revolution can be easily started in
Honduras, composed of the dissatisfied
elements now out of power. with Soto
at their head, and hat these, with
such assistance as Guatemala can
covertly give them, can speedily over
throw the present Bonilla admins
tratiOn. The three republics of Qua
temala, Honduras and Costa Rica,
therefore would practically dominate
the situation.
President Barrios of Guatemala, 1t 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 the
IIOl Vi diIu SOSld IllCi O1 lDc SUZUKI.
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 Il ~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 I'M
d%ertaking.
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 a 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
zeal leaders in all of the Central
American states by whom the fOrego-
ing facts seem to be perfectly under
stOOd-