Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-17
The Probable Procedure.

Au0 3IOD6plo 9EOCeOuIo.
1t is believed that the Marblehead will
take on the Salvadorean commissioners at
La Libertad and then proceed to the near
est Guatemalan port, San Jose, where the
agents of that government will board the
ship, which viii then go to sea, beyond the
three-mile limit, until the conference is
over.
The important development of yesterday,
aside from the offer of the Marblehead,
was an assurance to the State Department
from President Cabrera that Guatemala
would refrain from further hostilities II
Salvador would undertake to do the same,
which news was promptly communicated to
Minister Merry, at San Salvador. in order
that he might transmit the proposition to
the government at that place.
Another point developed was that Sal
vador and Honduras had entered into an
alliance, the nature of which is not certain
ly known, but 1t is believed by the officials
here that the purpose Is to agree upon the
terms of peace that shall be proposed by
the two countries to Guatemala. This news
came to the State Department from Charge
Brown at Guatemala City. Still another
cablegram. this one from Minister Merry,
informed the State Department that the
government of Honduras insisted upon
being considered along with Salvador In
the peace negotiations with Guatemala. Al
together the prospect Of the peaceful termi-
nation of the present difficulty is believed
to have frightened considerably.
The Salvadorean Army.
Military experts in this city, on the basis
of the best available information covering
the relative military resources of the sew
eral republics involved in war in Central
America, pronounce the army of Salvador
superior in equipment. training and disci-
pline to the armies of the other republics
Thickly populated, 9th 100 persons per
square mile, over its limited total area of
1926 square miles, Salvador can muster
10000, armed with armament equal to the
best in Central America Though Guate-
mala is seven times larger in territory and
has population of two million. the Saliva
dorean army is considered to be mere than
a match for It. The standing troops of Sal
vador number 1900, with regular militia
of $4,000. The thorough organization of her
government is carried to such point that
the governor of each province Is also the
military chief Of the troops recruited there
from. With an external debt of only 254, 600
pesos. its finances are the best In Central
America. 1t has a foreign population of
10000 Europeans, planters and traders.
The advantages of Salvador over the
other republics arise from the thorough
blending of her population, belonging to the
Ladino type. pure Spanish or Spanish In
dian blood, with practically no aborigines.
The republic possesses rich and weli-devei-
oped resources On the Pacific side it has
an outlet in the Fonzeca bay, avowed to be
the finest port on the entire western coast
of America. Though the republic has not
been free from internal troubles, its people
have shown themselves faithful to their
government whenever involved in contests
with foreign states, and have offered de-
termned resistance to the limit of their
resources.
Guatemala and Honduras.
Guatemala's army numbers 7,oo0 on peace
footing with an organized militia of $1,000.
The republic relies for its military forces
largely upon the military training imposed
on all schools pcblic & nd private, primary,
intermediate a. id superior. Altogether 24,-
600 pupils were .nder military drill in the
Guatemalan schools in 1904.
Honduras has for a population of 5oo.0oU.
sp-cad over 10000 square miles, an army of
399 chiefs, 1886 officers, 81, $40 militiamen of
the first class and IA 591 militiamen OF the
second class. Its actual standing army,
however, consists of 1,345 soldiers and 7S3
officers.
A feature of the military establishment OF
Honduras is the compulsory military drlli
laid upon the whole male population during
the Sundays of the dry season. Every
able bodied man between the ages of twenty
and forty-five is obliged to take part in
these Sunday drills and parades, If his
abode is not more than twenty miles dis
tant from the point where they are held.
Fourteen thousand troops are thus trained.
The army of Honduras Is supplied with
modern ordnance artillery and rifles, but
does not have as yet hospital corps
Farce in Nicaragua.
Having territory exactly equal to that of
Honduras, with population of 36o,ooo, OF
whom only 10000 are pure whites, the
neighboring republic of Nicaragua main
tains an army OF 700 soldiers. Its reserves
and national guard bring up her total on
war footing to 25,000, of all ages from twen-
ty to fifty-five.
The only navy in Central America is that
of Honduras 1t consists of two years,
armed with Hotchkiss guns. They are the
Tatuiblo of displacement of los tons, and
the Febrero o. of displacement of twelve
tons.