The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-16
REAL WAR IS ON IN
CENTRAL AMERICA
Serious Engagement Awaits
Arrival of Arms
BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY
All Fighting Not Comic Opera Per-
Torrance, as Commonly Thought.
Honduras and Nicaragua
In Dead Earnest.
BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY

1OIlSLp IlNfluui oSi 0hoi Vi ~
via New Orleans, March 15.-In spite of
the claims made by commanding officers
on each side that 1.-THE enemy has been
vanquished in an important battle" the
fighting 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. encounters that anywhere else
would be classed as skirmishes. Each
side made claims of victories not war
ranted by the facts and each has called
the reports sent out by the other false
and misleading. But while there has
been no battle as yet, all the conditions
are ripe for serious engagement. 1t
is a mistake to characterize all Central
American fighting a comic opera perform
ance. Much of the fighting here is com
paratiyely not serious, but the warning
elements of these states have shown In
the past that they can, on OCCASION
nut I'D A good, stiff fight, and il the ar
rayed forces of Honduras and Nicaragua
do meet in a general engagement, the
conflict in no sense will be inconsequen-
tial or to be laughed at.
Actual Situation.
The actual situation of armed hostility
between Honduras and Nicaragua, from
the Hondurian side is briefly as follows;
The skirmsh at San Marcos, village
in Honduras about five miles from the
Nicaraguan frontier, was inconseauen-
tial. The main Honduran force is at Chol-
uteca, Texiguat, Gunepo and fuscaran.
These four towns are in practically
straight line and about twenty miles
from the frontier. President Bonlila Is
waiting for further reinforeemehts from
Tegucigalpa and for arms from the
United States lie would like also TO
have the first serious ensasehiene Vh
Honduran territory in order TO be able
to demand that Salvador make good her
promise to help him in case of war:
The presence of President Bonita IN
the field has stimulated the Hondurlans
so that the men have confidence, ana
he is a fighter of experience he mas
strong personal following IN SaiNaooI as
well as the confidence of the SalVaaorlan
army and every one here is expecting TO
hear any day that SalVador Has s0ei"eu
to fight with him.
Honduras has armed already between
sixteen and eighteen thousand men and
II. 900 more are being equipped at the cap
ital.
The present disposition of the Hon
DURAN forces covers all the man ROADS
from Nicaragua.
Forces Concentrated.
| 1t would appear that the Nlearaguah
forces have concentrated at Somoto,
Santa Maria Oeala The first actual
difficulty took place at JAS Manos'
little village the main street OF Which
marks the frontier line between Hon
duras and Nicaragua. The Nicaraguans
who were encamped in their side of the
village crossed the line one night and
stole a Hondurian mule and retired with
their capture without firing shot Inls
incident was followed by diplomatic cor
respondence in which the Nicaraguans
were stgmatized as cattle litter inns
was resented with counter-charges anu
shortly after there was a town meetng
at Amapala, Honduras, in which Presi-
dent Zelaya of Nicaragua was accused
of violating his promises and fomentng
strife Nicaragua then demanded that
Honduras punish the municipality OF
Amapala but this Honduras refused on
| the ground that the Hondurian people
were guaranteed the right of public
| speech and meeting. President Bonilla or
| fered to submit the Las Manos Incident
| and all other pending questions to arbi-
traton. but this Nicaragua refused and
shortly after both countries began seri-
ousy to prepare for war.
| In Honduras President Zelaya is harsh
| ~ criticised. He Is accused of harbaring
and aiding Honduras revolutlonists to or
| gazine and promising them arms and am
hamilton with which to fight the present
government
| The people and government or Honuu-
ras believe that zelaya hopes now to re-
peat his victory of 1884, when Mica
raguan army entered Tegucigalpa and
| Policore, Monilla was proclaimed presi-
dent of Honduras. The question OF
boundary line between Honduras ana
| Nicaragua is still open and with friend
| ly president at Tegucgalpa. Nicaragua
would be sure of boundary decisions
favorable to herself In short President
Zelaya is thoroughly distrusted, not only
in Honduras but In Salvador and Guate-
mala as WELL and the Honduras govern
ment decided it was preferable to hight
| him in a final effort to put an end to
his international intrigues than to let
him continue to foment disorders.
| Honduras and Salvador are bound by
| alliance to aid each other in case OF war
and President Zelaya Is hostile to Manuel
| Estrada Cabrera, the president of Guate-
mala. There is a chance that Guatemala
| will remain neutral. but If not all the
countries of Central America with the
| exception of Costa Rica, which so FAR
has taken no active part in this dispute,
are liable to become involved.
| Salvador is SO close to Chaluteca, the
central point of Honduras organization
that Salvadorian troops could join Bon
| lila in twenty-four hours and another
twenty four hours could see the united
armies on Nicaraguan territory.
! There is no reason to believe that both
| belligerents are expecting shipments OF
arms from the United States.
Munitions of War.
| New Orleans, March 15.-A cablegrskn
received here today announced the safe
arrival at Porto Cortez. Honduras, of the
mail steamer Harry T. Inge, which sailed
from New Orleans March with NUM-
| lions of war for Honduras. Up until the
receipt of this cablegram some uneasiness
was felt here by representatives of the
Honduras government as 1t was UNDER
J stood that Nicaraguan gunboat would
attempt to overhaul the steamer and seize
the arms which included 1000 rifles.
Costa Rica's Pacifier..
Washington, March ro.-Costa Rica
only part in the war in Central America
is that of pacifier, according to Mr.. Calvo,
| the Costa Rican minister who called on
the state department officials today to