The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-06
Passengers From Puerto Cortez.

Mobile, March 5.-rhe Gals Thacker line
steamer Mercator reached her docks early
today from Puerto CorteZ. Spanish Hon
duras. with several passengers on board
direct from the seat of hostilties. Ac-
co.ding to statements of these passengers
hostlities between Nicaragua and Span
Is. HI nduras are becoming more pro-
Il need and the Nicaraguan forces are
ON Honduras soil in great numbers, max
ing rapid advances and there is fear
that the Lee Christmas is hemmed in in
the Oilancho district.
In Puerto Cortez preparations are being
made in event Of an attack which is
feared. not so much from the Nicaraguan
land forces as the small navy of thai
country The navy of Honduras Is con
stituted in one small gunboat the Ia
tumbla, now at Cortez. In the words OF
passengers arriving, this gunboat is in
good condition to 'skiddoo," but as for
fighting even the Honduras government
has its doubts, so long has it been since
her guns were used, and which at the
best are not very effective.
Revolution Threatened.
What Honduras now fears more than
her war with Nicaragua" said a passen-
ger of the Mercator, lis international
troubles. a revolution among its own
people is threatened, in fact there are
errment has very novel manner of
keeping the Hondurian minds filled with
war and a the same time divert their
thoughts from revolution. 1t Is in the
way of official banda band of men with
drums and buges which parades the
streets of Puerto Cortez and other Hon
duras towns, The bugle is blown and
| the citizens stop and the cryer tells of
the great success of the Honduran army
in its battles with the Nicaraguan forces.
Americans are prevented from leaving
Honduras except by permission from the
minister of war who Is at Tagucigalpa.
If an American desires to leave the
country, he makes application to the
Communicates who telegraphs the minis
ter of war for permission. Conditions
In Honduras are really alarming
Signed Statement.
The following official signed statement
was received from Puerto Cortez, Hon
duras, this morning:
'"reguicigalpa. February 2S, 1904
Communicates: Your telegram of yes
terday's date is understood. Please say
| to Consul CueVas that he has fun au-
! thorlzation from this ministry to defy the
! falsehood with which the government OF
Zelaya pretends to stain our reputation
/ General Ielaya has been for several years
the constant disturber OF Central Amer
lea; that he is II cruel enemy of the gov
eminent of General Bonilla, against
whom he has cast the last revolutionary
movement which has come to interrupt
| the peace of the republic; that General
Ielaya has provoked the actual campaign
| in spite of the constant efforts of the gov
eminent of Honduras to arrive at a
peaceful convention; that the motive OF
| the war. as also the entrance of our
troops into Nicaraguan territory are well
| dot, ,nI NO pan paR
Ell Estado,' in which can be taken much
data to defend our cause; that it is alb
solutely false that our troops in pene-
trating the Nicaraguan territory have
coalmitted the depredations to which
| Minister Corea so audacously accused
them; that it is absolutely false that the
| Nicaraguan forces have defeated oul
| forces, and to say that they advance
victorious toward the interior of this re-
public is a fiction; that up to date there
have not been more than, slight skirnl-
ishes in which not one OF the important
| chiefs of our regiment has been made q
| prisoner, and that Gen. Teolilo Carcamo
| is perfectly well and saved; that the gov
eminent of General Zelaya has been
| false, treacherous, intriSuant, and the
most despotic of the isthmus, as can be
| attested by all Central America; and
| lastly, that no news proceeding from the
government of Zelaya can be true for il
is well known that in his international
relations no confidence is placed in him
by any of the legations OF the world
and in his private capacity no one be-
leves what he says, because he is COM
f-pletely discredited, BY note of the 18th
inst. ! wrote to Minister Cordova and to
Consul Fernandez giving them nstruc-
tons over this matter, in order TO defend
our republic and government based in
documents from the calumnies, assever-
atoms and fantasies of the government
of Zelaya and his agents.
"AUGUSTO c. COELLO,
'Ministep of Foreign Relations"