The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-07


country are selling about ninety-f FIVE pei
cent. below par and the bonds would
be cheap as wall paper If they were not
too small to paste on conveniently. Most
Of the bonds are held BY English in.
yestors and Great Britain has been pre-.
vented only by regard for the Monroe
doctrine from jumping in and making
Honduras pay
II would be a good thing for American
bankers if the American government
through the state department, stands
back Of them and sees that Honduras
keeps UP her payments That happens
TO be what Secretary Knox is looking
fora good and valid excuse for jump.
ing into Honduras and making II walk
the straight and narrow path Of free and
enlightened government BY getting at
Honduras he can get at the other re.
public and make their disreputable pres
idents toe the line also. Honduras hap.
pens to be the backyard Of Central
America, in which Cabrera Of Guate-
mala, and Zelaya Of Nicaragua are al.
ways having their ructions. That Is one
reason why the republics at their last
conference signed solemn convention
to preserve the neutrality Of Honduras.
This treaty cost a lot Of money for
printing and incidentals, but il has not
proven Of any appreciate value except
as souvenir. With a hold on Hon.
duras, a duty TO preserve the interest
Of the Americans who put up their mon
ey for The reminding scheme. II is safe
90 say that If Zelaya or Cabrera or
anyone else IN Central America so much
as makes faces over the back fence Of
Honduras. Secretary Knox viii be down
upon him with a whole fleet of warships
Nicaragua has been acting up with i'm.
punity ever since Knox became secretary
of state. and heaven knows how long
before that Secretary Root tried 10 use
the moral suasiqn method by boosting
the international bureau and having in-
ternational conferences. This failed ut
terlv. So has everything else The only
hope II improvement lies in diplomat
cally spanking the belligerent presidents
until they think twice before doing as
they please.
This is evidently what Secretary Knox
proposes to do. And If he succeeds the
whole civilized world is likely 70 be
pleased as there Is scarcely country
of consequence but what las claims Of
one kind OF another against the Central
American governments.
The makers Of photos for moving
picture machines would probably have
given good deal to have obtained a
Shot at the last conference which Presi-
dent Taft had with members Of the tariff
conference committee They have been
having good deal of fun in taking
the president in action while watching
the Wright brothers flying machine, but
If they could have caught him when he
was sending Representatives Fordney
and Calderhead Hup IN the air that last
time, they would have contributed huge.
" to the merriment Of nations. But
they missed the historic occasion
IT was. rs ia time, inst about a copple
Of hours before the House and Senate
conferees adjusted their last differences
"a the tariff bill. Az to place, it was
in the presidents workroom in the
White House offices. In the morning the
president had sent his uitimatum that he
would not stand for a duty Of more than
1925 per thousand feet on lumber, and
certain rates on other articles.
Fordney and Calderhead concluded
they would make final appeal to the
president to yield little from his posi-
tion on lumber So they went through
the blazing heat to the White House,
at first they were told that the presi.
dent could not be seen. but, on explaining
the urgency Of their mission, they were
finally admitted
They were two surprised statesmen
when they entered the presidents pres
enee, for. probably, no chief executive
ever before discussed weighty affairs Of
state in such unconventional style The
huge form of the president was envel'
oped ii flowing kimono" like those
which Japanese court officials wear in
comic opera As he greeted his visitors