The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-26
CENTRAL AMERICAN CONTROL


CENTRAL AMERICAN CONTROL.
The treaty with Honduras appears
TO be one which Nill either force the
United States 10 finance and police
Honduras, or pay out a LOT Of money
without getting anything for II. The
Government of Honduras desires 10 re-
fund its public debt aud get a little
money to 20 on with. IT has applied
10 the Morgan syndicate for 10000
600 10 meet these purposes. This syn
dicatc agrees 10 furnish the money. pro
yided The Government Of the United
states gives formal consent aud will in
effect wise the loan. Not directly, TO
bo sure, but practically. The agents
of this Government would bc in charge
Of the refund operations IN Honduras,
in spite Of the provso that The Repub-
lie. OF Honduras alone should be respou.
sible for the work Of these agents. and
if the Hondursn government should de
fault IN the payment of interest or prin-
cipsl, the bondholders would naturally
and Justly look TO the United States
Government for relief The obligations
of the Government in this treaty would
he such that 1T would of necessity re.
quire it TO pay that money, or compel
the intervention of this country in the
financial affairs of Honduras, and the
occupation of the country in order to
collect the money, in a way similar
10 that which we have interyened in
Santo Domingo 10 satisfy the claims OF
European creditors.
The method Of refundiug he Hondu-
ran debt. aud the amount of the new
loan. have been arranged between Hon.
duras and the Morgan syndicate. But
this syndicate refuses actually 10 pass
over the money. except under the su-
pervision Of the United States and a
quasi guarantee from this Government
that il will see that the interest is paid
and the principal met when il is due
This proposed treaty puts the matter
OF enforcing the payment of just OBJ
legations BY a repudiating republic on
quite different footing from what it
has been heretofore. 1t is one thing
for the Government TO undertake to
see that Americans are not swindled
and robbed by the temporary govern
ments in their ventures in these un-
settled and repudiating States, but
it is quite another thing for the Gov
ernment 10 undertake in advance TO
guarantee that these Governments will
meet their obligations as agreed in the
contract. 1t is not easy to see why
our Government should he asked vir
tualIy TO insure this loan 10 Hondu
ras. except on the general basis of a
common consent 10 fine idea that the
United States should take charge Of
these weak and turbulent Central
American republics.
Indeed. there is a good deal of evi
dence to the point that the United
States is being gradually crowded into
exactly that position towards those
States We have Panama on our hands,
and Col Goethals is insistent that the
only way to protect our interests on the
canal is absolutely to own and control
the canal zone. He presents such cor
rect reasons why this should he so, that
il is difficult TO escape the duty.
Then. we have interviewed In Mic
aragua inefrectively. and will have to
intervene again in behalf Of Estrada,
perhaps even to the point of forcing n
division of that small and insigni6-
can't republic.
The Clark syndicate has mining con
| cessions in Guatemala. which give con-
troll practically of ali the public utili-
ties that are available in that Repub.
lie. including the right of eminent do
main. the right TO furnish light and
power. the exclusive right to use all
WATERWAYS. as we'll as TO construct and
control all roads, including railroads,
| telegraph, and telephone lines. All
franchises for public utilities pass into
the hands of the same syndicate. and
as to mining rights. all other prospects
than theirs in Guatemala have six
months in which 10 perfect titles to
any property TO which they now make
claim. at the expiration Of which
period the American syndicate has a
right to take over such property, if it
wishes to do so. An agent of the Stan
dard Oil Company is understood to
| have obtained exclusive rights in Qua.
temala, which may be utilized to pro-
vide a new home for the Standard Oil
Company, free from adverse legisla-
tion and hostile court decisions.
And now comes this Honduran treaty,
which is likely later on TO compel the
United States to enter upon the domain
| of Honduras and administer its hnan-