The Washington herald., 1908-04-12
FIVE STATES THRIVE
Central America Makes Great
Industrial Progress.
GUATEMALA SEEMS 10 LEAD
Its Great Northern Railway Impor-
tAnt Link I'm Pan-American System.
Salvador Good Field for Invest
ment-Hendurss Has Good Roads.
Costa Rica Raises bananas.

II Through the courtesy Of the Bureau OF
American Republics the second in the
series of articles upon the general COM
lnlerce and industry OF the South and Cen
tral American republics is presented. The
present article was prepared under the
supervision Of Director John Barrett OF
the bureau.
Il is easy 20 remember how many re-
pubes there are IN Central America-five.
Just as it Is easy to remember that South
America has ten republics But as the
Guianas do not count In South America,
so in Central America there is portion
still under the control Of a European
power, the area called British Honduras,
Guatemala. Salvador. Honduras. Mica
ragua, and Costa Rica are those five re-
publies.
a5exicO's Nearest NeighbOr.
Guatemala Is the next-door neighbor
TO Mexico and is rapidly following her
big sister in the advance toward material
and industrial prosperity, In fact, she
/ permitted only year to elapse betweea
Mexico's celebration of a transatlantic
railway and her own. Only last January
the Guatemala Northern Railway was
opened from Puerto Barrlos 10 Guatema-
la City. This road is ls5 miles long and
/ is built as well as money can build it
American money. too. for most of it
/ comes from Boston and Canada.
/ From the capital a railway runs sew
enty-five miles TO the port Of San Juan,
on the Pacific Ocean. Northward from
/ the capital another road extends to with
/ in thirty miles of the Mexican frontier, so
that so far al least IL may be said that
the Pan-American Railway is practically
completed.
Great Progress in Guatemala.
Altogether Guatemala has as great a
mileage per square mile of area as any
country In Latin America and as great
an ambition for industrial progress. She
is spending millions on the harbors OF
Puerto Barrios and San Juan, her cities
are electric lighted. and the national tele-
graph and telephone extend across the
whole country. The imports amounted
last year to about $3.50 900. OF which the
United States supplied 40 per cent. Sew
eral steamship lines run weekly across
the Gulf OF Mexico and down the Pacific.
and they keep busy carrying away the
coffee, bananas, and hard woods.
It would be unfair 10 Guatemala not to
mention with these improvements her de-
sire to show her achievements in the
world Of science. This coming summer
there viii be held in the capital city the
fifth pan-American medical congress.
Delegates from all the Americas VIII be
in attendance, and the event, interna-
tional IN scope, will show how modern
Guatemala is
Smallest of the RepubIics.
Salvador is the smallest I.atin-Ameri-
can republic and also the most thickly
populated country in the Western world.
II is the only republic in Central Ameri-
ca without an Atlantic outlet. yet this
very limitation has helped to make her
advance the more rapidly toward indus
trial stability. Her imports last year
amounted 10 about s5.000.0o0 Of which
over 50 per cent came from the United
States. Exports were nearer $4,000. COO,
showing a balance OF trade in her iavor
Already the republic has 100 miles OF
railway but a private corporation II now
constructing a new line, which viii be
part Of the Pan-American system, to run
from the frontier OF Guatemala go miles
southwark across the country. Part OF
the money for this purpose comes from
the United States. The Germans how
ever, long ago saw the value Of invest
ments here. They own some Of the bonds
Of this road, and they DO a large portion
OF the carrying trade on the Pacific
La Union has been declared to be the
N,~ T.,
isphere, and the government is planning
to make 1t worthy it's reputation. Saliva
dor has 1900 miles of good roads, 1900
miles Of telegraph, 200 miles Of tele-
phone. electric lights and trolley in every
city Of Importance The people are be-
coming skillful manufacturers, and of
late furniture, for example, made in the
country or native woods. has practically
supplanted the imported article
So active have been the agricultural
energies OF Salvador, not only in coffee
and sugar, but also in fruits and grain,
that the government has recently found
Il necessary 10 establish school OF agri-
culture on modern scientific lines. They
have imported a professor from France.
there is theoretical and practical teach
ing, and the building for the purpose will
cost S150.000.
Honduras Has Good Roads.
honduras is Salvador's neighbor to the
east The policy OF the government to-
ward internal improvements has been ad-
mirable, although We allow ourselves TO
remain so far .away that we understand
little Of the advance made there. For in
stance. over a year ago almost 100000
was spent on public roads. so that the
main highway from the coast to the capt.
tai IS usable by automobiles. The sea
ports have been cleaned and made sani-
tary and railway has been opened along
the coast to. provide for the constantly
growing banana trade.
Nicaragua Is Agricultural.
Nicaragua is still essentially an agri-
cultural country. although this does not
imply that the government is inactive.
Labor Is so scarce that extensive indus
trial movements cannot be undertaken.
a great deal has been ac-
within the last few years.
The republic has 2oo miles Of railway and
good transportation on the lakes of the
interior
The harbor OF Corinto has ample ac-
for large vessels. and re-
Gently pier of 500 feet in length has
been necessitated BY the growing ship |
ping.
Costa Rica Is Banana Field.
Costa Riea is the southernmost repub- |
lie and the next-door neighbor to Pana- |
raa. This is the great banana country of |
the Caribbean. At Limon. the port on
the Atlantic side. seVen lines OF steamers
tonly one American. but that the sner-
getie United Fruit Company make regu-