The Mena weekly star., 1907-07-04
FORM NEN COMBINATION
Honduras, Guatemala and Salvador Maneuvering to Defeat Plan of
 Central Government.
PRESIDENT cABREHA's DRASTIC AcTIo,
Causes Arrest of 16o Prominent ant Wealthy Citizens of GuatemaIa or Charges Of compIicity in Recent At tempt to Assassinate Hir,-To bs Tried by Court Martial.

Puerto CorteZ, Honduras, July B. Within the last few days new com bination has appeared on the Centra American checker board of five re publics where President Zelayas has been maneuvering for several months by means of revolutionary plots te consolidate the five countries under one government. The new combina tion is reported to be Honduras Guatemala and Salvador. Their un derstanding was made at Tegucigalpa Honduras, capital, and aims at defeat of the consolidation.
 Special ministers from Guatemala and Salvador recognized Provisional President Davilla as president of Honduras and he agreed, as reported in Washington dispatches. to act in dependently of the control of Nicara qua. Zelayas candidate for the Hon duran presidency was Terencio Sier. "a and in recognizing Davilla the Qua temalan and Salvadorian diplomats strengthened the hold of presi dent hostile to Zelaya and there by robbed the latter of the fruits of his successful Honduran war. namely the opportunity to name president who would obey him.
 The first move of the new combi nation was to force the evacuation of Honduras by Nicaraguan troops. Thereby Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, has within the last week been re- lieved of the menace of the Nica- ragua. General Estrada's army. which for many weeks camped in Honduras within few hours of striking distance from Guats mala. Since the evacua- ton the defeated generals of former President Manuel Bonilla have been returning to their country and some of them have been invited on missions to Tegucigalpa, which are considered significant
 It is reported that Zelaya did not yield to the demand for evacuation un- til his envoy, Gamez, who recently conferred with President Diaz of Mex leo, received the refusal of Diaz to act with Nicaragua in an attack upon Guatemela. It is reported also that Nicaragua has already spent between s2, 100000 and $3,000.000 in the at tempts to place men of zelaya's choice in the presidential chairs or other republics. and that the people are discontented with the large ex- penditures. Nicaragua issued about $2.0O0.000 in treasury notes, a per centage of which were to be redeemed in customs duties.
 Blame for the failure of the recent revolution in Salvador in which Mica raguans participated is laid to the choice of Dr. Alfaro as leader. It Is said that many Salvadoreans were ready for revolution but that they would not follow Alfaro, preferring General Barahona. who. however, was not pleasing to President Zelaya
 Mexico, July 3.--Word reached Mexico Monday night that President Cabrera of Guatemala had caused the arrest of l60 citizens of that repub- lie on the charge of alleged com plicity in the recent attempt to as- sassinate him. All were threwn into prison and later herded into squads of 20 and tried in groups. Two bands have been tried and many of the ac- cused were sentenced to death. Among the men imprisoned are some of the most wealthy and prominent men in the country. The statement Is made that these men have long been on Cabrera's blacklist and that the charges against them were trumped up for political reasons.
 The report has created great excite ment among Central American resi- dents in this city and at mass meet ing to be held the matter will be dis cussed.
 When the news of the wholesale ar rests became generally known the diplomatic corps with the exception of Philip NJ. Brown. the United States charge daffaires. protested No at tention was paid to these protests by President Cabrera.
 The dispatch states that absolute chaos reigns in Guatemala. Farm hands are being pressed for military service and crops are rotting in the fields. The rich are threatened with ruin unless they contribute to the war fund. Troops are being hurriedly rushed to the Mexican frontier, and the Honduran border and San Saliva dor. Special trains of artillery are be- fms. Sk-nt out tO the frontier.