The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1910-09-09
THE PROTECTION
-. THAT PROTECTS

~" oAiSoiS Lay I'il1. VI
more than a year past there have
been revolutions and internal
troubles in Central America. and
American warships have been
maintained on both the Atlantic
and Pacsfic coasts to protect
American interests, without ac-
cording any particular protec-
ton that any one knows of. Net
single one of naval commanders
would dare go ashore and pre-
sent an ultimatum to the petty
Central American magnates
where the protection of Amerlc-
an interests demanded attention,
because they would be afraid
they might not be sustained by
the government at Washington.
Contrast this weak and vacil-
lating course of acting with that
of the Captain of the British
cruiser Scylla. 1t was reported
to him by cable by the Britisa
Consul that British subjects were
being maltreated in Honduras,
ard that one such subject, d
Jamaica negro, had been killed
The commander of the Scylla
promptly sailed for Honduras,
and Immediately on his arriva
he went ashore and demanded.
firstly, that the Governor Of the
Atlantic province of Honduras
be removed; secondly, that the
Mayor or Intendente of the Of
Tending town. and the officials
mainly concerned in the outrages
be imprisoned, and thirdly, that
an indemnity of 100 600 soils be
paid. He also announced tna'
if these demands were not i'm
n ediately acceded to he would
once land armed forces, arrest
the guilty officials and seize and
hole the customhouse until
enough duties were collected to
meet the indemnity demanded
There was no demurring OF
sidestepping on the the part OF
the Honduras officials at these
demands. Everything was i'm
mediattely granted, because The
Honduras Government knew per
fectly we'll that the British naval
commander would do exactly as
he pro missed. 1t is no wonder
that being a British subject
means something in Centra
America, as we'll as everywhere
else in the world. When a sut-
iect of Great Britain residinc
abroad complains to the consular
or diplomatic officers of his coun
try of any ill-treatment he is ab
soIutely sure of redess, no matter
how remote the locality or how
great the difficulty involed. Whel
a British warship is sent to ;
necessity for cabling home for
instructions or mourning any de
lays. There is a peremptory de.
mand, accompanied by a show
of force, which everybody knows
by experience will e immediate
ly backed up by the actual ap
plication of force, if need be,
and the trouble is settled once
and for all. No. wonder that
British subject feels life wher-
ever he goes, and that Americans
and other Nationals feel asham
ed of the lack of energy and en-
terprise shown by the officials
of their counties by comparisons
with those of Great Britain.
British officials may be some
times arrogant and over bearing
but it must be said to their credit
that they always look after the
interests of their own country
men residing abroad, and show
n, fear of consequences when
they undertake to protect them.
The behavior of our grand Re-
public in such cases is pititfully
contemplate by contrast. 1t
was never known to protect its
people abroad under any circum-
stances. Any little Nation can
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