The age-herald., 1898-09-02
UNITED STATES OF
 CENTRAL AMERICA

D. S. Richardson in Chicago Herald.
 Encouragement is made that the new
 United States of Central America has been
 formed, and that in December a federal
 president and congress will be elected The
 new league includes Nicaragua, Honduras
 and Salvador. Guatemala, at the north-
 western end, and Costa Rica, at the south-
 eastern end refused to join in the alliance
 and will remain outside the fold. Of the
 states in the alliance Salvador, with an
 area of 7,225 square miles and population
 of S03,530 is the smallest territorially and
 the greatest in population. Nicaraguas
 49,200 square miles and 300,00o inhabitants,
 has the greatest era and smallest popula-
 tion. Honduras has 43,OOO square miles,
 territory rather greater than that of Illi-
 nois and Indiana combined or less than
 that of Colorado. The population of the
 new republic will be 1,579,57S, more than
 that of New Jersey or Kansas. This is
 population and area rather somewhat less
 than that of Norway.
 Guatemala and Costa Rica which remain
 aloof from the alliance are about as large
 together as the new federation Guate-
 mala has 63,400 square miles and 1,4SS PAP in-
 habtants. Costa Rica has 23,OOO square
 nlHeS dHu zto,zoo peOple.
 Statesmen have Iabored for many years to
 cement the petty Central American repub-
 lies into one body. Bolivar's dream was
 that all Spanish-America should form one
 nation. This was not accomplished, for the
 spanish Americans split and the endeavop
 ever since has been to prevent further
 splits. The Spanish temperament is not
 suited to federations. and the jealousies of
 aV in
 There was republic of Central America.
 however in 1923, when the Central Ameri-
 cans revolted against Spanish oppression
 In the oden times the section was the
 home of the foremost American tribes and
 the seat of the highest civilization on the
 American continent Cortez destroyed
 that Aztec civilization which has
 awakened the admiration of all who
 have studied 1t. Their great cities.
 their government and their religion com pared favoraby with that of Europe at the
 same day. All this was dissipated before
 the oppression Of ruthless Spanish con-
 querers, and today only the fertile fields and great unworked mines remain. The natives were nearly exterminated and
 rivers actually ran blood, reddencd with the gore of the victims
 For three centuries the natives and tba colonsts were governed as Spain aiways governed her coionists. Finally they re. volted, and after establishing their inde- pendence formed federation November Y 1923. The constitution, which gave each state autonomy, with federal president and congress, was remarkable In that ib was the first constitution that abolished slavery at once and absolutely and declared the slave trade to be piracy. The union broke down in 1923, and, though reconsti- tuted in 1929, war and class feuds arose. Guatemala revolted in 1927, Costa Rica withdrew In 1842. The other three states to G11o to1,o To md ;oE to join, but failed, and the government be. came weaker and weaker, and split into separate nations. Since then there havd been constant revolutions in each of theyY little nations, due to local hatreds on the part of various provinces of which ambi8 tious men have taken advantage. There is much similarity in these revo> lutions that it Is not worth while to enter | into details It is sufficient to say that theY | have always continued, and Costa Rica i4 l the only one where a revolution has not | been practically always in progress. sd notorious are these revolts that the Ceh- | tral American revolution has become a by- word. Nicaragua was the scene also of | the British invasion of 1S47 and of the famS | ops filibustering raid of William Walker in | 1855 The soil of these republics now welded | into one is about the most fertile in tho world It rivals that of Porto Rica and Cuba. Each nation has national banking system, schools, colleges and te.egraphs | and railways, the latter owing their devel- l opment chiefly to an influx of North Ameri- can and British capital. Coffee, bananas, .cocoanuts sarsa parilla, dyewoods and hides are the principal products of these states, | although mining Is an important industry l in Salvador The forests abound in valuable | timber and the mountains in precious and useful metals.
 The new republic is not likey to cut much | of a figure in the world. Its army and | navy will not be great Salvador has an army of 400O men, with a militia Of 1S,O00. Its navy consists of custom-house cruiser l Honduras has army of 509 men, with 1 20, ,00O militia and no navy whatever. Nic- | aragua has an army of 2,00O men, with | 5000 in its reserve guard.
 There is no chance, therefore, of the new l republic attempting by force 10 mako l Guatemala join. The latter has an active army of 50,00O men, with reserve of 300UO Indeed the Central Americans claim it is | for peaceful purposes that they have united | The republic is not to make war, domestic | or foreign, any more. but will attend tp in | ternal development. It is formed to make | revolution more difficult.
 | Whether the republic will last Is doubt+ l ful. The chances are not in its favos The | past bloody history of revolutions would seem to argue failure. but the hope is that l now a new era is before the federation | With as rich soil as there Is in the world | and magnificent resources that need only | security to tempt capital, the new republic may have a magnificent future before 1t. l
 l THE CITY GAL