Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-23

The Pan-American railroad, lately COM
pleted between Gamboa, Mexico. and the
Guatemalan frontier at Mariscal, gives
Mexico railway connections from It's
southernmost border to the Rio Grande.
1t adds nearly 800 miles toward the final
fulfillment of the generation-long dream
of an intercontinental railroad which will
unite the Americas with bonds of steel.
There remains small section to be filled
in between the Guatemalan frontier and
the Guatemala Central. 1t then will be
possible to make the journey from any
point in the United States to Guatemala
City by rail. The gap between the Pan
American and the Guatemala Central will
be filled in as soon as the two lines can
settle their differences concerning bridge
that spans the river between Mariscal and
Ayutla The distance is less than fifty
miles, and the territory through which the
road is to be constructed is not a difficult
one.
The dispute about the bridge spanning
the Suchiate river involves an interesting
International question. When D. f.
Thomson was ambassador Of the United
States to Mexico he secured the conf
dence of the Guatemalan government by
assisting in bringing about an amicable
settlement of a dispute between the two
governments, which threatened to result
in war. After terminating his diplomatic
service he secured the concession under
which the Pan-American railroad has
been built. This carried it to the middle
of the Suchiate river, where the boundary
between Mexico and Guatemala Is Ell
countered.
Thompson went to the Guatemalan gov
eminent and obtained a concession for the
extension of the bridge to the Guatemalan
shore, and its operation hereafter. In the
concession. however. was a clause specify
ing that this should not conflict with the
rights of any third party. There seemed
to be no third party with whose rights 1t
could conflict, so the Thompson syndicate
completed the bridge.
At this juncture the interests behind
the Guatemala Central came forward
with the as
Matter Is Taken sertion that
to President Cabrera. nrior n conces.
sion, and that the Thompson concession
was in contravention Of their rights. So
the matter was carried to President Ca
| brera- He heard both sides Of the argu-
| ment. and at the present moment the out
come is uncertain. However, the inter-
ests behind the Guatemala Central are
the interests that have been powerful
enough to prevent the United States
| from calling Cabrera to account for some
| of his official acts, and it is probable that
| the final decision will be in favor Of those
interests.
When the gap between the Pan-Ameri-
can and the Guatemala Central is filled In
the next gap will be the one between the
Guatemala Central at Escuintla and the
| Salvador railway, or the new railroad be-
| ing built north from La Union, In the
lower part Of Salvador. From here line
would have to be built to Chinandega,
Nicaragua, crossing the little strip OF
Honduran territory between Salvador and
Nicaragua. The government railroad In
Nicaragua would form the link as far
| toward Panama as Granada. Between
this latter point and the railroad in Costa
RIGA there is a wide gap. with no inter-
mediate plans for filling it. Between the
railroads Of Costa Rica and the proposed
| extension of road from Panama to
David there is another wide gap, with no
greater prospect of being filled.