Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-27
TO SQUELCH REVOLUTIONS
Measures Taken to Suppress Agita
ton for Wars.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL COURT
Disputes Of Five Republics Will Be
Submitted to Tribunal Whose
Decisions Are to Be Final.
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
The eight treaties concluded last Friday
by the conference of delegates from the
five Central American republics promise
IAN abundance Of peace" an abundance
Of prosperity and progress. Peace is all
that is necessary for the development Of
the unsurpassed resources of those coun-
tries, and, as 1 explained in a previous
letter, the recent conference has offered
a practical solution of the problems that
have perplexed them and sensible methods
Of avoiding the causes of strife that have
provoked so much disturbance and blood
shed In the past.
One Of the most practical and sensible
propositions, which appears in the gen.
eral treaty Of peace and amnesty, is to
make the soil Of Honduras neutral ground.
like Holland and Belgium in Europe. If
you will examine the map of Central
America. you will observe that Honduras
extends like wedge between the other
republics from sea to sea. and for that
reason its territory has often been the
fighting ground Of the other nations. In
order to get at each other their armies
nave been compelled to cross Honduras
| and have made 1t the Dark and Bloody
III of the general treaty of peace Honduras
declares its absolute neutrality in any
event of conflict among the other repub-
| lies. and the latter, in turn. bind them
violate Honduranian territory.
To Squelch Revolutions.
One of the most prolific causes Of trou-
Bile between the Central American repub-
lies heretofore has been the "emigrado
politico' political emigran). He is dis
appointed politician, defeated candidate
for president or an official who has been
removed for some reason or other; and in
order to escape arrest he takes refuge
across the border in the adjoining coun-
tiers at the most conenient place and as
near the boundary as possible. His
friends and sympathzers visit him there
and receive his instructions in making
their preparations for a revolution. OF
course he Is not allowed to remain and
carry on his mischievous propaganda
without the consent of the government in
whose territory he has taken refuge, and
when his arrest and extradition Is de-
manded the trouble begins
Article XVI of the new treaty is in
tended to put an end to such foolishness
and reads as follows
Article XVI. Desiring to proven. one
OF the most frequent causes of disturb
oiSOo III tHC republics, the contracting
governments shall not permit the head
men or principal chiefs of political emf.
grants, nor their agents, to reside in the
department fronting on the countries
whose peace they might disturb Those
who may have been actually established
in permanent manner in the frontier
departments shall be permitted to remain
at the place Of their residence under the
immediate surveillance of the government
anording them an asylum. but from the
m yryhA fhngy
public order they shall be included in
the rule.
Article XVII. Every person. no mat
ter what his nationality, who, within
the territory Of one of the contracting
parties, shall initiate or foster revolu-
tionary movements against any Of the
others shall be Immediately brought to
the capital Of the republic. wher he shall
be submitted to trial according to law"
Treaty Of Extradition.
These two provisions will remove the
most frequent causes Of trouble between
the Central Anne rican states A treaty
of extradition has also been agreed upon
by which such offenders as are described
in the above articles must be surrendered
for trial and punishme mt like other fuei.
tives from justice. EXtradition cannot ap-
ply TO persons accused of political Of
fenses, but assassination and attempts at
ASSASSINATION are not considered political
onenses. and anarchists are not exempted,
provided the law Of the country request
ing the extradition and of the country
of which 1t is requested defines an an.
archist and fixes penalty for his acts.
In requests for extradition the principle
Of truth or foundation which by the laws
of the country wherein the crime may
have been committed, shall be SUFFICIENT
to justify the capture and trial of the
accused, shall be specified.
Treaties of extradition between three
OF the republics were concluded last year,