Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-17
CESSATION OF
FIGHTING LIKELY
Armistice Probable in the Gen.
trail American Dispute.
PARLEY ON A WAR VESSEL
Arrival Of the Marblehead at
Acajutla.
WILL RECEIVE COMMISSIONERS
Deliberations Will Be Carried on Out
side the Three-Mile
Limit
WILL RECEIVE COMMISSIONERS

AdV1ces to the State Department
indicate that an armistice will
probably be agreed upon between
Guatemala, Honduras and Saliva
dor tomorrow evening. Although
each of the governments concerned
is interested in reaching an agree
ment for peace, they have SO far
not been able to get together. In
case an armistice is agreed upon
tomorrow evening it is believed
there will not be much difficulty in
promptly advising the troops in the
field of the cessation of hostilities.
Advces indicating general desire on the
part of each of the governments interested
to come to peace terms on an honorable and
equitable basis as early as possible have
been received at the department from the
City Of Mexico and from other sources. No
information has reached the State Depart
ment to confirm the report from Mexico
of a serious battle in which several thou
sand lives were lost.
The agreement of Guatemala and Saliva
dor TO negotiate for peace carries with 1t
the implied willingness to cease hostilities
temporarily, but the State Department has
no advices which make 1t clear that the
war has actually been called to halt
pending a conference looking to an ad-
justnaent of difficulties. Honduras was not
a party originally to the attempt of the
United States to bring the warning nations
together, but after it became clear that
Honduras was involved In the difficulties
the State Department made overtures to
that country, and the reply was in effect
that Honduras would be governed by the
action of Salvador, which is it's ally
State Department officials are absolutely
without advices as to what questions will
be considered by the representatives of the
battling republics when they meet on the
United States cruiser Marblehead. Neither
has the department been told who the rep
resentatives of the belligerents will be.
Not Party to Negotiations.
United States Ministers Merry and Combs
will both be on the Marblehead, but the
United States government Is in no sense
a party to the negotiations and its two
ministers will take part in the deliber-
ations This government has merely taken
the lead in inducing the warning powers
to agree to make attempt at settling
their difficulties by peaceful means. and
the Marblehead has been offered to the re-
publics as the most accessible neutral ter
ritory upon which to conduct their negotia-
tions.
The procedure which the envoys of the
Central American countries will take for
adjusting their differences has not been
communicated to the State Department
and it Is believed here that no agreement
on that question can be reached until the
representatives of the interested nations
shall be assembled on the Marblehead.
The natural means of settling the disputes
would be to agree to arbitration and fix the
conditions under which the mooted ques-
tions are to be considered.
The Marblehead at Acajutla.
A cablegram received at the Navy De-
partment today from Commander Mulligan
of the Marblehead announced the arrival
of that ship at AcaJutla, port on the coast
Of Guatemala, nearer the boundary between
that country and Salvador than La Liber-
tad. where she was yesterday.
AS country signatory to The Hague
conference the United States is held by the
State Department to be duty bound to ex-
ert every possible effort to bring about peace
1t is maintained that the United States can
not be charged with interfering in any way
with Central American affairs, because 1t
has made no attempt to direct the negotta-
uons, but has merely oered its good offices
and exerted all it's influence In getting the
lighting nations to settle their differences by
peaceful rather than by warlike methods.
The Marb1ehead at La Libertad.
70
cablegram from Commander Muliigan Of
La Ldbertad from Panama, which port he
left last Friday night. Before sailing Com
mander Mulligan was instructed by the
Navy Department to report to the United
States minister. Mr.. Cooinbs. at La Liber-
tad. which IL the port near San Salvador,
the capital Of Salvador. In the absence
of Mr.. Coonbs, who Is detained at Cham
perico. awaiting next fridays steamer, Mr..
Brown. secretary and charge in Salvador,
will communicate with Commander Multi
gan, and that officer will place his ship at
the disposal of the United States legation.
SO that Mr.. Brown viii be in a position TO
carry out instructions cabled him from
Washington to profer to the governments
Marblehead as q place OF meeting for rhe
peace commissioners.
1t is stated that neither Minister Merry
nor Messrs. Combs and Brown will act In
the capacity Of peace commissioner to
either country; they are charged simply
as good friends to both parties to endea;sor
TO bring the hostile nations into friendly re-
lattons without further loss OF blood. To
that end they wiIl interest themselves In
the selection OF peace commissions BY the
governments to which they are respectively
accredited. and Will probably conduct thesa
commissioners to the Marblehead and go