The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-05
AIDED BY COSTA RIGA.
Overthrow of BoniIEa in Hon.
duras the First Step to
Be Made.
READY FOR A REVOLUTION.
Marco Soto to Be Returned to the
Presidential Chair by an
Uprising.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 4.-Private
advices received from Guatemala this even
ing indicate that sensational developments
affecting the possibility of the future OF
Central America may be expected within
the next thirty days,
These advices state that President Bar
rios of Guatemala has formed secret ALI
ance with Costa Rica, looking to the for
nation of a union of all the Central Amer
lean States, with Guatemala exercising the
dominant influence in the new federation.
The first step in this programme will be
the downfall of the present Bonllla admin
istration in Honduras and the appoint
ment 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 that he may,
by coup d'etat, assume the Presidential
Office the assistance of Honduras can be
obtained in the plan for federation of
five States, and Nicaragua and Salvador
viii thus, it is claimed, be compelled to
Join with the other republics as matter
of self interest.
Marco Soto filled for number of years
the office of President of Honduras. He
owed his elevation to the chief magis-
tracy to the powerful aid OF General
Rufno Barrios, who was then dictator of
Guatemala, easily the greatest political
and military force in Central America.
When Barrios made war on Salvador,
Soto refused to cooperate with him. Bar
rios at once melted a revolution in Hon
-duras. Through his aid the revolutionists
were successful, and Soto was overpowered.
Subsequently Barrios was killed, and his
ambitious scheme of a Central American
union, with himself as the central figure,
came to naught.
The Presidency OF Guatemala is now
filed by another member of the Barrios
family, a nephew of the distinguished
dictator. 1t is claimed, without any quail
feation, 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 present
conditions in the little Latin-American
republics say that 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,
Honduras and Salvador would give, would
practically dominate the situation. Presi-
dent Barrios of Guatemala, 1t is said, is the
more desired, inasmuch as at present
Nicaragua Honduras and Salvador are
now closely allied. This trio Of republics,
which are contiguous to each other, forms
a geographical wedge, so to speak, with
Guatemala on the north and Costa Rica
on the south. Without the active CO.
operation of one of the three it would be
r l. 10
assume an offensive attitude toward the
remainder. The withdrawal of Honduras
from the triple alliance and her CO.
operation with the other republics would
give the latter preponderance of power,
the value of which can be readily appre-
ciated.
To what extent President Barrios can
carry through his programme can only be
conjectured, but it is believed in Guate-
mala that he will succeed. What renders
his plan the more feasible is the hereditary
enmity-or lack of comfy at least-which
exists between Costa RIGA and Nicaragua.
Costa Rica, it is said, would delight to see
her ancient enemy, Nicaragua, humbled
as she would necessarily be if compelled
perforce to join Central American feder-
alton the controlling influence of which
would be friendly to Costa RIGA. Should
Nicaragua, on the other hand, decline to
join the union, she would be at a disad-
vantage in that she would enjoy none of
the benefits that would result from it.
The situation, therefore, is pregnant
with significance, and future developments
are awaited with interest by the po-
Htiea1 leaders in all of the Central Ameri-
can States, by whom the foregoing facts
seem to be well understood.