New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-03
CENTRAL AMERICAN UNION.
HE MAJORITY OF INFLUENTIAL PEO-
PIE THERE FAVOR IT.
ECONOMY STABILITY AND IMPROVED CoNDl-
TONS ALI. ARGUE FOR FEDERAL oNioN
"A DIPLOMATS vIEw-PREvIoUs
ATTEMPTS

ATTEMPTS.
Washington June 2.-Respondng TO the interest,"
rh,c, tho revival of the project for Central Amer
lean union has occasoned. reporter put TO one OF
the best-informed OF Central American d'p'oiha'S
these questions .
what is the initial step that Will be taken 10
sacuro the formation Of a union Of all the Centra
American States? VIII the question first be sub
,r,,,o1 n q vote Of the people. in order that Inc
sentiment of several countries may be obtained'
Tho clever diplomat to whom these queries were
addressed smiled ptyingly upon his questloner' Inc
neople" he remarked with significant shrus %
Tho sbouldcrs have little voice In the controi o'
Tai,s In Central America. Those countries are
nominal.v republican. but they are, as matter VI
fact, olicarchios The question OF a union OF an '''
Central American states viii be settled NANNY ~
the Presidents Of the five countries m'eres'et' -
these gentlemen favor Federal union, IL VIII 'o'
be long delayed.
How do the ruling classes les@'u ' f'N'
tion?' 49,, =,
..rbo great majority favor It, Nearly all the in
ruontiai people In Central America De'o"s ~ IL.
liberal party, which is the party OF progress an,
which Is mainly favorable to a closer alilahce VI al
the States From private letters recover III wash
n.ton this week II would appear that strong press
ure Is being brought to bear upon the iresuV"'s ~
Guatemala Honduras and Nicaragua 10 use tnell
influence in favor of the union II these 'n''e wiz
vork together the result is practically assured
the other countries favor such alliance SALVADOR
and Costa RIGA will he compelled to JON theH.
"You do not doubt the beneficial result OF such
union thenY' the diplomat was asked.
"such A union" he replied. would be Of incaicu-
liable benefit to Central America. 1t would give us
n unitv OF interest which we have now only IN
sentimental way 1t would decrease our public ex-
penses inasmuch as there would be but one fresi-
dent for the FIVE republics. as well az but one Con
gress where there are now five Presidents ana as
many Congresses. Such union would guarantee
peace throughout all OF Central America II would
nut an end 10 petty revolutions which are sometimes
very costly both in life and in money and 1t wouid
enable us to present a bold front to any ha'io"
which might attempt to bully u.s.
'How much of an army could the five republics
raise?'
From 10000 to 1000 men. Guatemala could fur
nish 5000 Salvador 10000, Costa Rica 1000 ana
Honduras and Nicaragua 5000 each. These men
would make good soldiers They could be armed
with modern guns. and they would be suin'ien'is
strong TO prevent any invasion of the territory lou
don't suppose he continued, That Mexico wouio
have attempted to make war on Guatemala II uua-
temala had been one of the States OF CentraI
American union? Decidedly not. 1t was TINS MeHi-
can incident and still later the affair at Corih'o
which have satisfied the Central Americans 'ha'
they must stand together. The movement LOOKING
TO this end is we'll under way. ana De'eVe
it will be question of comparatively snort ,i'he
before the union becomes accomplished fact
do you believe that such union. II formed
will last?"
There is no doubt of Il. The United states OF
America have furnished with a great OBJECT
lesson. We see how they by force Of their union
are able practically to defy the world. whereas IL
divided as Central America is. no single State or
group OF States could maintain itself for any srea.
length of time. The educated classes In Cehtrai
America say srCngy f1y g tine a the
subject. also approve IL. ,. ,,air canac,.v
II think our history for the last quarter OF a
lions are moi so much the fault OF the people as Of
the politicians who out of power and desire 70
Eed5 s RS%sr er have ssSp large indian
They make excellent citizens; ddey aieT b@v are
peaceabe. thrifty and energetic Ihey are more more
like the JaPansss man AMY he past Elections
Central America have been mere farces. fach
sbe eonsttron 'provdes ,hae ineligible
after two terms he usually sncceeqs co me
SO that he nay .efSe case seT that
the most Intelligent people in the country cannot
understand how the party in power IN me / hitet
Sss,nguished Mexican who visited the United
States for the first time during the presidenu n
of his hotel in New-York one night a great Re,
publican torchlght procession How IGoiish tne 81,
bow: they wasting their time and money lhey
put Mr. Ceyeand ,C out unes he %an5s I, ,bs
Continued the diplomat, TO show you how different
our system OF Government is from that IN the
United states But give federal union IN Cen
trial America and these abuses Will be abolished
We viii have Chief Executive Ike the United
states and a federal Congress and In time our
internal affairs, trust. will become as stable as
those in this country.
The effort of the Central Americans TO form
federal union II successful will be the second at,
fempt of this character. In 1877 the hve central
american States declared their independence OF
Spain and In the following year a congress OF
delegates was held. which resulted year later IN
the establishment of a federal union Inc 9ap,taa!
was located at the city Of Guatemala In ls-;
Nicaragua and Honduras seeded but the remain
ing States held together until 1898 when the pres
emit division occurred The contest between the
Conservatives and the Liberals during this period
tho former opposing and the latter favoring the
union. brought the front a citizen or Honduras
Francesca MoraZan whose memory is reyered IN
Central America as her greatest soldier ara states
man Morazan endeavored unsucco ssiuuly, &c
hold the union together. He was fnally over
thrown In Costa Rica. and shot in the city OF ssn
Jose on September 10. 1872. the anniversary OF ine
separation Of Central America from SPAN. WIN
his death all hope OF a union was DESTROYED ana
until recently no serious attempt mas Deeh i'aue
TO re-estabish II.