The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-03
SPEAKS HARsHtY
OF GUATEMAl|ANs
Hopelessly Immoral, Hard Drinkers
and Untrustworthy, But Ever Po-
lite, Says Returned Missionary.

II is not an easy life for the Rev.
Frank G. Toms, and family, In Hue
huetenango, Guatemala, Central
America, where for the past eight
years they have labored In the Cen
trail American mission under more
discouraging conditions perhaps than
in any other foreign mission field in
the world.
Guatemala, like its sister republics,
Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and
Costa Rica, Is a hot bed of modern
paganism," said Mr.. Toms, who is the
guest OF William Voellmig, No. 1886
west Jefferson-ave. While you will
find all of the Central American re-
publics listed under the head of
Christian Catholic nothing could be
farther from the truth. II Is Chris
tian only In name and Catholic In
theory. but not In practice. The Guat-
emalians are the most hopelessly i'm
moral people, licentious, hard drink
ers, and most untrustworthy. They
are ignorant to the point of illiteracy.
but the most polite, suavest people to
be found anywhere. Since the over
throw of the church and the begin
ming Of the liberal government accom-
plished by Rufinio Barrios, upwards of
80 years ago, the church and the
state laws have been Numerically OPP
posed. The state will not recognise
an ecclesiatic marriage and vice
versa; therefore, the rule is no mar
riage ceremony at all. Men and wo-
men live In the marriage relation to
suit themselves. the state making 1t
necessary only that all births shall
be registered with the name Of the
father and mother whether the latter
be wife or concubine. The number
of the latter are limited only by the
mans pocketbook.
Women have no status in Guate-
mala. They are simply chattels to be
used as their masters see fit. The
resulting condition of this peculiar
freedom from the marriage and fam
lily ties is nation of individuals,
stunted In stature, mind and morals.
They never use the word home as
they have no such place. They have
house but not home There Is
a national liquor called aguardiente,
q sort of white whisky that Is drank
by men, women and children. 1t IL
the most horribly intoxicating drink
and makes it's victims beastially
drunk and exceedingly quarrelsome.
"Spiritualism has a strong hold In
the country and Christian Science and
other cults are finding an opening.
This is due to the fact that the better
clRsses,are cropping sround for a new
religion and as the gospel OF Jesus
Christ carries with 1t the complete
remuneration of sin In all forms, they
pass 1t by to find one where such COM
plete remuneration is not necessary.
Where they do accept the Christ faith
there is a remarkable change in their
habits, the old vices dropping away
from them like leaves from tree in
the late fall. An improvident people,
with no thought beyond the moment,
christianity makes of them Industrious,
clean living and clean minded men and
women. With upwards of 100000
people In Central America, the Cen
trail American Mission. embracing mis-
sionaries of every Protestant denom-
ination, has only As workers, all told.
The first Protestant missionary went
there scarcely 20 years ago, and 1t Ia
only within the past 10 that much
has been accomplished. The mission
aries are supported entirely by volun-
tary contributions, and while the for
eign mission fields In other parts OF
the world receive large financial sup
port, Central America and the i'm
mense possibilities there, are almost
forgotten"
The industries OF Guatemala con-
sist Of exports OF coffee, rubber, hides
and fine woods, most of which is con-
trolled by Germans who seem to have
seized upon the commercial opportuni.
ties to a greater extent than the
Americans, Mr.. Toms says. The ma
tives are a mixture Of Spanish and
Indian, and speak Spanish. The pres
ent government. under President
Manuel Estrada Cabrera, has been In
power some time, and is endeavoring
to further education among the people.
Mr. Toms will tell an interesting story
about the country, the people and his
work there In the Central Presbyter-
ian church, Sunday evening, at $3.50
o'clock, while his son will make a
similar address In the Evangelical
German Lutheran church, Seven
teenth-st. and Michigan-ave., at the
same hour.