The Monticellonian., 1895-08-09
CENTRAL AMERICA

The Probable Scene Of Sensational Devel- opments-A secret Alliance Has Been Formed Looking to the Creation of a Union of the States, with Guatemala Ex- ercising the Dominant Infuence-A Sig nlficant Situation.
 WASHINGTON, Aug, 5-Private ad- vices received from Guatemala indi- cate that sensational developments ts, 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 tion. The first step in this programme will be the down fall of the present Bonilla ad- ministration 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 that he may, by a coup d'etat, assume the presidential
 
 be obtained in the plan for a fedora. tion of the five states, and Nicaragua and Salvador will thus, It is claimed, be compelled to join with other repub- lies as matter of self-interest.
 Marco Soto filled for number of years the office of president of Hon. duras. He owed his elevation to the chief magistracy to the powerful aid of Gen. Rufino 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 revolutionsts 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 | filled by another member of the Bar rios family, a nephew of the distin- guished dictator. It is claimed with out any qualification, that, flowing 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- litieal 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 can 1 covertly give them, can speedily over | throw the present Bopilla adminis- i tration. The three republics of Gua- 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 tc l speak, between Guatemala on the north and Costa Rica on the south Without the active cooperation ot one of the three it would be difficult for Guatemala and Costa Rica to as. sume 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 a preponder ance of power, the value of which car be readily appreciated. To what ex tent President Barrios can carry through his programme can only bt 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 comity at least, which exists between Costa Rica and Nicaragua Costa Rica would, it is said, delight tc see her ancient enemy, Nicaragua humbled, as she would necessarily bt if compelled perforce to join a Contra American federation, the controlling influence of which would be friendly tt Costa Rica. should Nicaragua, on the other hand, decline to join the union, she would still be at a disadvantage 1T that she would enjoy none of the bene fits which would result from it. The situation, therefore is pregnant witt significance, and future developments ts 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 l efO