El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-09

ing at the same time a crucifix in the
face Of the devil His satanic majesty
thereupon tried to kick over the bridge,
but ne succeeded in knocking out only
one stone, which, L am told, is stiu
lacking.
White Mans Country.
Guatemala lies in the tropics, but its
altitude makes 1t a white mans COun-
try. The climate Of the uplands is per
petual summer. The winter of the cap
geles, and one can have any kind of
climate he wishes by choosing the alti-
tude- There are, in fact, half dozen
zones. There is the hot zone, which
runs along the sea level. This is so
warm that negroes are brought in to
work the plantations. Above 1000 feet,
the climate is cooler, and at from 1000
TO 5000 the temperature ranges from
81 to q the year through. If you want
to so still higher you can find colder
weather. In the whole republic there
are only two seasons. wet and dry, and
on the higher lands the wet season is
pleasant The rainfall varies in diff
IereUt Localities. In the banana lands
through which I came on my way here
it amounts to about 100 inches per
year, and a little beyond that is a strip
of land which is as dry as Arizona or
New Mexico. There are mosquitoes in
the IOwlands but farther up the coun-
try is comparatively free from them.
Rich Land in Hands of Germans.
Guatemala has some of the best soil
o. Central America. The land will raise
anything. I see the finest OF grapes,
oranges, lemons and pineapples in the
markets, and also tomatoes as big
around as baseballs, and apples which
look like Albemarle pippins. There are
papaya and melons of all kinds, and
every sort Of vegetable under the sun.
The country is one Of coffee and corn
and the great part Of it will raise
cotton.
At present, coffee is the chief money
crop of the republic. The harvest
amounts to from S0,00o,OOO to 100, O0O.-
eco pounds every year, and the coffee
is so good that it all goes to Europe.
The plantations are largely in the
handS OF the Germans, who are COB
bling up the best lands and the best
business of all kinds in this part of
the world.
During a chat which had the other
night with a leading American he told
me that the Germans already own 50
percent Of the coffee plantations. Some
of them have bought their property
during the hard times OF the past. and
others have married the daughters OF
rich Guatemalaus. The Germans learn
the language as soon as they enter
the country. and many of them settle
down and do not leave until they have
made fortunes. They are more farSee-
ing than the Americans, and they are
laying their plans to mOnOpOiize the
republic.
Here at the capital the Germans are
a close corporation. They have their
own club, and they do everything they
can for Germany. Not long ago some
Americans got concessions for electric
railroads here in Guatemala City They
thought their rights were exclusive,
but they found that the Germans, who
owned the electric light plant, had
some rights also as to railroads. The
Americans then tried to. buy the light
plant, and. falling that to get the bal
ance Of the railroad concession The
Germans refused on the ground that
they did not want American machinery
to come into competition with the Ger
man electrical machinery. The cleo
tr1cal field here is now in the hands
of the Siemans-HOlskie company, and
the Westinghouse and General Electric I
companies of the United states viii ,
find it hard to get a feothOld. The 4
capital is lighted by waterpOWer from (
the falls of the River Michitoya, the in Z
consisting of four turbines, [
operated by a flume 500 feet long. The I
works have cost about a million dol /
ars in gold.
Secretary Knox and Genital America.
And Just here I would say that !
American interests have been greatly