Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-11-10

bling up the best lands, and the best business
of all kinds in this part of the world.
During chat which had the other night
with leading American he told me that the
Germans already own IS per cent 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 Guatemalans. The Ger
mans 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 farseeing than the
Americans, and they are laying their plans
to monopolize 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 Ger
mans, who owned the electric light plant,
had some rights also as to railroads The
Americans then tried to buy the light plant,
and, failing that to get the balance OF the
railroad concession The Germans refused
on the ground that they did not want Amer
lean machinery to come into competition
with the German electrical machinery. The
electrical field here is now in the hands Of
the Siemans- Holskie company, and the
Westinghouse and General Electric COM
panes of the United States will find it hard
to get foothod. The capital is lighted by
waterpower from the falls of the River
Michitoya, the insulation consisting of four
turbines, operated by fume 600 feet long.
The works have cost about million dollars
in gold
Secretary Knox and Central America.
And just here l would say that American
interests have been greatly benefited by the
visit of Secretary Knox to Central America.
This is so not only of Guatemala, but also of
Costa Rca and Salvador, and to some extent
of Nicaragua. l first met the secretary in
Costa Rica and saw something of him also
during his stay here in Guatemala. He was
treated like king by all the republics.
When he landed in Costa Rica the governor
of Port Limon was at the wharf and spe-
cial train was ready to carry him to the cap
ital There were signs of welcome at every
station, and the Costa Rican flag and that of
the United States waved side by side every
where At San Jose Mr.. Knox was given
grand dinner in the foyer of the four million
dollar theater, and that night the seats were
taken out of the orchestra and the stage
raised to give ball in his honor.
Honduras and It's Four Thousand Dollar
Carriage
The secretary was treated with great re-
spect in Nicaragua and the same was true
of Salvador. He was not able to go to Hon
duras, but that country made great prepara-
tons for him. The officials expected to
bring him from Amapala, their port on the
Pacific, over the mountains to Tegucigalpa,
the capital, which lies three days by stage in
the interior, and to do this they sent to
Guatemala for the best rubber-tired carriage
and horses that this country could furnish.
They requested President Cabrera to pick
out the carriage and team, and he bought
them of the American livery here at cost
of $4,000 in gold. He sent them to San Jose,
the port of Guatemala on the Pacific, from
where they were to be shipped to Honduras.
The arrangements were such that the turn
out would have reached there in time, but,
alas, in loading the horses and carriage upon
the ship the two hind wheels OF the latter
were overlooked and left behind. The next
steamer did not arrive until about week
after Mr.. Knox had left Salvador for here
and had he gone to Honduras the four
thousand dollar carriage would have been
useless.
There is no doubt but that the Central
Americans are jealous of us. They think
their country is the best upon earth and that
the United States wants it. The better