The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-18
KNOX ENJOYS TRIP ID.
 CENTRAL AMERICA
Panama Receives the Secre-
 tary With Unanimity
IS WELL ENTERTAINED
Declares Mission Concerned Interna- tional Relations and Not the Internal Affairs of Repub-
 lies Visited

San Jose. Costa Rica. March IT, Secretary of State Knoxis tour to the Central American republics in the in- terests of International amity is pleas ing him immensely.
 Panama received him with unanim ity. Before the secretary arrived in
 Panama word had gone out from the Arosemena camp that the United States government favored the re-elec
 tion of their leader and on the morn
 ing that MT. Knox arrived at the cap tal an interview with Arosemena ap peared in the local press in which hs said in substance that the visit of the American Secretary of State indicated that the United States desired that Panamans should elect a President who was the real choice or the people and that he was satisfied that the real choice of the people was himself
 Thus the Secretary of State was con fronted with a very general feeling that in some way the United States re served a right to influence Panama $ political affairs. Conversation with men in and out of the government, natives and foreigners, showed plainly that this feeling was the one weak strand in the tie binding the United States and Panama
 The first address of the secretary went far to dispel this. He made it plain that his mission concerned inter
 national relations and not the internal affairs of the republics visited. Apparently the effect was excellent and government officials and politicians
 on the outside who had not spoken to- gether for weeks bantered each other
 good naturedly at the functions where they were thrown together and as com
 mitteemen worked harmonlously to make the visit of the secretary and
 his party personally enjoyable and
 profitable from diplomatic stand point.
 In Costa Rica there has been a very general belief that the United States is determined to bring about a union of Central American republics. This is not admitted officially but one cannot
 talk with the average citizen for five lmipnies without receiving this impress
 sion.
 Jimenez Makes Views Plain In private interview for the press
 President Jimenez while minimizing
 the effect of this sentiment on the re- lations of Costa Rica and the United States. nevertheless made plain his own views on the subject of a united Cen tral America
 "Why' said he should we unite with other republics, some of whom
 have internal qliarrels? We with an army of only 300 men continue al peace and devote our energies to develop ing our country Our government is stable. We have no revolutions. We are working out our own salvation in our own way. Why should we unite and against whom? Europe? Uncle Sam protects us from her Against
 the United States? That is absurd, In such an alliance we would have noth-
 ing to gain and everything to lose"
 When it is recalled that President
 Jimenez was elected as pronounced anti-American the following remarks by him appear significant of the changed attitude the part of this government:
 When entered office 1t was ex- pected," he said, that the United States
 would insist on refunding our national debt On the contrary, your govern
 ment has never in any way interferer or sought to interfere with my admin istration. We have been allowed to settle our own domestic difficulties. Our relations have been most cordial Now. what we need is more money and more men in this country. You will c men managing large capital of their own or of persons who reside in the United States. Far from frowning upon their good luck, we are pleased to see it and as their gains are not derived through legislative favors, their pros perity does not diminish but on the contrary, helps to augment vigorously the prosperity of the nation" Again he said:
 Compliments Knox MT. Knox is a charming man whom
 we are honored and happy to well come. As I have told the secretary. the intercourse between Costa Rica and the United States has been without fn- cident or accident with the exception of the present incident of the secre- tarys trip to see us at home and I wish that this exception might be the rule"
 The sincerity and cordiality of the
 President represents the seeming gen. eral attitude toward A.- Knox and his party. They have been ma gnificentIv entertained. Among the pretty com pliments paid on frequent occasions was the lifting of their hats by the men in the vicinity whenever as often
 happened the national band played the Star Spangled Banner.
 | The papers have given pages to the visit with pictures and biographical sketches of the secretary and his fam fly, but nothing of an unkindly nature | has appeared. The artist of local
 humorous weekly has had a good deal
 of fun with the secretary caricaturing
 | him as a ferocious wielder of the big
 stick. but if was all in the best of
 humor and very well done. too. An
 other paper represented him as Don Quixote attacking imaginary enemies in I Central America. One paper pictured l him as looking at Costa Rica through reversed glasses, and suggesting that
 he turn his glasses about and see
 things as they are