The National tribune., 1907-12-05
PEACE IN CENTRAL AMERICA
A Congress Which 1t Is Hoped Will Put
an End to the Opera Bouffe Wars.

suites. One of them is also a physician.
They comprise the personnel of the
vaunted Central American Peace Con-
ference" whose lofty mission" is to
exalt the plowshare and the pruning
hook among approximately 5,OO0,o0o
people dwelling in an area as large as
California and New Jersey.
For half a century these combative
deniZens have been fighting at the drop
of the hat over any old quarrel that
opera bouffe warriors and designing
politicians could provoke. They fight
on the most destructive lines with VEN
cradle firearms, and demonstrated un-
exampled valor. Their armies battle
not over distances of thousands of
yards but face to face, SO that the
gieam of the foeman's eye along the
gun barrel is visible.
The g lawyers hope to stop that sort
of thing and, as the popular phrase
goes, ito bring about a permanent
peace Their hoodoo numeral will be
broken in the course of a few days, be-
fore they meet around long mahog-
any table on the second floor of the
Bureau of American Republics, just
across the Avenue from the towering
masonry of the State, War and Navy
Building. President Roosevelt will
nominate a lawyer or two, including
probably Secretary Root, and President
Diaz will designate a lawyer or two to
sit with the Is in an advisory capacity.
Great results are expected from the
Washington convention. But good re-
suits We're also expected from its latest
predecessor, the National Congress
of San Jose. which met during Septem-
ber of last year ito raise aloft above
all the banner of Central American
prosperity, sustained by intelligence, ac-
tivity and labor as were expected,
likewise, from numerous diets, assem-
blies and conventions that have been
strewn along the years of Central Amer
lean history, back almost to 1925, when
the Kingdom of Guatemala severed its
connection with the mother country Of
Spain, and when there began to emerge
the present Governments of Guatemala,
Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua and
Costa Rica.
OF late years. however, the United
States and Mexico have been taking
hand. One or the other or both have
interfered at times to stop Central
American warfare. In recent years the
petty frontier disputes, growing out OF
cases of trespass and depredations, pro-
duced a succession of Generals who
had ambitions to be conQuerors, and
by the sword to weld the five States
into an indissoluble Union. President
Zelaya, of Nicaragua, next to the last
of the Republics in point of population,
reduced Salvador and Honduras, the
second and third most populous, when
his progress was stayed by diplomatic
representations from the North.
The 13 lawyers and their colleagues
from the two big Republics will un-
doubtedly frame a treaty of arbitra-
ton At least, that is the prevalent view
in Latin-American circles. 1t will prob
ably provide for the reference of dis
putes, that threaten war, to the Presl-
dents of the United States and of Mex
IH<.ya t,ssa1
America is keeping the peace under a
truce, which provides temporarily for
such an arbitration. But the treaty to
be concluded in Washington must be
ratified by each of the five little Repub-
lies That is an important considera-
ton.
It was planned that the conference
should assemble Nov. Is, but that was
found to be Friday. Could a treaty
framed by 13 lawyers, who first met on
Friday, expect ratification by the Con-
crosses of five Republics? Anyway it
has been decided that the conference
will not meet Friday. Nov. Is, but some
other day thereabouts. The important
work will really he done not around
the conference table, but at private par
leys in hotel suites.
The delegates are mostly capable
men, of high standing in their own
countries. They win approach the task
in a practical way. Most of them will
be averse to airing the wrangles of all
Central America at the big meetings, to
avoid which there is likely to be a gen.
eral understanding as to what peace
provisions can be accepted before the
conference meets. The delegates are
already talking it over" AS far as
possible they will make the general
meetings purely formal.
Thc Central Americans, not unlike
many of their brethren both to the
north and to the south. are long
winded." Four of the 13 are orators
of soIne note, who will naturally desire
to sustain their regulations while in
Washington. The arrangements may
not altogether encourage speechmaking
The deliberations viii be secret. Most
of the delegates speak English, but
Spanish will be. the official language of
the conference. Thus far it has been
found impossible to secure stenograph-
ers who can take" Spanish and a
stenographic account of the proceed
ings may not be feasible. Then the
conference probably will not organize
as legislative boGy, but as commit
tee, with Chairman and Secretary.
That kind of an organization is less
conductive to flights of oratory
Five of the 13 delegates are "E. E.
and NJ. p. in Washington" which means
that they are stationed here as Enyoys
tentiary. They are Senor Joaquin Ber-
nado Calvo, of Costa Rica; DR.. Luis
Toledo Herrarte, of Guatemala; Dr.
Angel Ugarte, Of Honduras; DIR. Luis
Felipe Corea. of Nicaragua, and Senor
Federico Mejia, of Salvador. OF these
Minister Calvo, by reason of his attain
ments and reputation as an able, wise
and upright official, will probably be
the dominant figure. He has been
long time in Washington, where he has
made record for caution and shrewd-
ness. He is an admirer of American
institutions. The continued mainte-
nance of peace and of a stable Govern
ment in Costa Rica is a matter of pride
to him. Unlike many other Central
American diplomats, he has kept out of
wrargles here at the Capital. He found
ed the first newspaper in his country
and has written on numerous topics
Of public interest. DIR. Toledo Her.
rarte, the only physician in the con-
ference, is also a writer of great abil-
ty, particularly on scientific and edu-
cafional subjects. Minister Corea is
the pleasant young man of Washing
ton society, whom nearly everybody
likes. A few months ago he was mar
ried to one of the bellies of Washing
ton, Miss India Bell Fleming.
The four notable orators of the con-
ference are Senor Don Luis Anderson,
who is Minister Calyo's colleague from
Costa Rica; Senor Don Antonio Batres
Jaurequi, dean of the Guatemalan Di-
piomatic Corps; Minister Ugarte, of
Honduras, and Senor Dan Salvador CAL
legos, of Salvador. Anderson is Young