Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-15
No BIG BATTLES so FAR
REAL SITUATION IN HONDURAS
NICARAGUA TROUBLE.


via New Orleans, March 15-CCorrespond-
ence Of the Associated Press lin spite of
the claims made by commanding officers on
each side that the enemy has been van
Quished in an important battle" the fight
ing between Honduras and Nicaragua has,
up to the present time, been confined to
small engagements between scouting parties
on one or the other side Of the frontier, en-
counters that anywhere else would be class
ed as skirmishes. Each side has made
claims Of victories not warranted by the
facts, and each has called the reports sent
out by tho other false and misleading.
The actual situation Of armed hostility
between Honduras and Nicaragua. from the
Honduran side, is briefly as follows:
The skirmish at San Marcos, q village in
Honduras about five miles from the Mica
raguan frontier, was inconsequential. The
main Honduras force Is at Cholucteca, Text
guat, Guinopo and Yuscaran. These four
towns are in practically a straight line and
about twenty miles from the frontier. Presi-
dent Bonilla is waiting for further rein
forcements from Tegucigalpa and for arms
from the United States. He would like also
to have the first serious engagement on
Honduran territory in order to be able to
demand that Salvador make good her prom
Use to help him in case Of war.
Honduras Armed Forces.
Honduras has armed already between six
teen and eighteen thousand men and fifteen
thousand more are being equipped at the
capital. The president Is in close touch
with his capital by automobile. There is a
splendid macadamized road from Teguci-
galpa to the Pacific coast, which passes
within six-hour horseback ride of the
Honduran headquarters at Choluteca.
the port of Amalpa, which makes the
transportation of artillery and supplies
Comparatively easy.
The present disposition of the Honduran
forces cover all the main roads from Mica
ragua.
1t would appear that the Nicaraguan
forces have concentrated at Somoto, Santa
Maria and Ocetal. The first actual diff
Guilty took place at Las Manos, a little viii
lage the main street of which marks the
frontier line between Honduras and Mica
ragua. The Nicaraguans who were en-
camped in their side Of the village crossed
the line one night and stole Honduran
mule and retired with their capture with
out the firing of a shot. This incident was
followed by diplomatic correspondence in
which the Nicaraguans were stgmatized
as cattle filters.
President Zelaya Accused.
This was resented with countercharges,
and shortly after there was a town meet
ing at Amapala, Honduras, in which Presi-
dent Zelaya of Nicaragua was accused Of
VIOLATING HIS pTOIllSeS anu lOHeHliilS StlllC.
Nicaragua then demanded that Honduras
punish the municipality of Amapala, but
honduras refused on the ground that the
Honduran people were guaranteed the right
of public speech and meeting. President
Bonilla offered to submit the Las Mauos
arbitration, but this Nicaragua refused and
shortly after both countries began seriously
to prepare for war.
In Honduras President Zelaya is accused
tionists to organize, and promising them
arms and ammunition with which to fight
the present government. He was friend
of Sierra-Arias and Policarpo Bonilla, both
Gworn enemies of the present president,
and in Honduras it is declared that Zelaya
long has been awaiting pretext to de-
clare war on Honduras, his ultimate pur-
pose being to set up in this country a
president in sympathy with his own ambi-
TONS
The people and government of Honduras
believe that Zelaya hopes now to repeat his
victory of 1S93-94, when Nlcaraguan ar
my entered Tegucigalpa and POlicarpo Bo-
nilla was proclaimed president of Hondu-
raS.
The Boundary Line Question.
The question of boundary line between
Honduras and Nicaragua is still open, and
| with a friendly president at Tegucigalpa,
| Nicaragua would be sure of boundary de-
| cisions favorable to herself. In short, Pres
| ident Zelaya is thoroughly distrusted, not
| only in Honduras but in Salvador and Qua
| temala as well, and the Honduran govern
ment decided 1t was preferable to fight him
| in final effort to put an end to his inter-
| national intrigues than to let him continue
| to fOment disorders.
| Honduras and Salvador are bound by al
lance to aid each other in case Of war, and
President Zelaya Is hostile to Manuel Es-
trada Cabrera, the president OF Guatemala.
There is a chance that Guatemala will re-
| main neutral but If not all the countries OF
Central America with the exception Of Co.'S
| ia RIGA, which so far has taken no active
| part in this dispute, are liable to become
| involved
Salvador is so close to Choluteca. the CEN
| trail point of Honduran organization. that
| Salvadorean troops could join Bonilla in
| twenty-four hours, and another twentyfou1
| hours could see the united armies on Mica
| raguan territory. If the Nicaraguans
| should march upon Tegucigalpa the Hon.
| duran forces are disposed that they
! could readily be concentrated to oppose the
! invaders. Savadorean troops could be hur-
| ried to Tegucigalpa in forty-eight hours.
| 20 halia hot hnfh hol.