The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

10 or 12 cents. This is said to be one of the theories of President Cabrera. A Bankrupt Country of Enormous
 Resources
 The fact is, the position of Guatemala is much like that of bankrupt who still has one of the richest gold mines of the world under his feet. The natural re- sources of the country are valuable be- yond description. Guatemala abounds in rich mineral deposits. It is known to have gold, silver, copper iron and lead, but the country is practically unprospected 1t has some of the best coffee soil of the world and 1t exports from S0,000.000 to 100, O00000 pounds every year. It has rich grazing lands, and it will grow rubber cotton and sugar. There is no country on earth which will produce better or mora bananas per acre than the Motagua val ley, and it has in addition vast forests of timber, including mahogany, cedar and dye woods. All the country needs is money to make it blossom like the rose and to bring into use its vast resources 1n lands mines and labor. The labor prob lem is based upon the Indian population. which amounts to more than a million and a half in number, and it is not diff cult to handle. If the country could have a big enough loan to put it on a gold basis it would soon become one of the richest lands of this hemisphere. It is in the IfoHI uOpfNdTu or lHe lDlteu StdteS. II is within two days by steamer of New Orleans, and it has only 30 miles of rail- road track to build to unite Guatemala City with the railroad systems of the United States.
 In the first place, however the govern ment will have to secure it's foreign debt, which is now held in Europe and in our country. and then to make some kind of an arrangement as to the currency. A number of loans have been arranged for from time to time in New York, but for one reason or other and chiefly on ac- count of the opposition of the Germans, they have failed to go through. Such ar arrangements are still pending, and they will probably result in the regeneration of the country.
 German Capital in Guatemala
 As it Is now, the Germans are the great leeches on the body polite. They are sucking the life blood out of the business and are grabbing after everything Tn sight. l am told that their investments in coffee plantations alone amount to up ward of s60 100000, and that S5 per cent of the coffee estates belong to them. They are ready to buy the balance and it is said that there are s20.000,00O now in Ger many for investment here.
 The Germans have got their hold on the country by watching the finances and buying at every time of financial distress. They LOOK over the coffee plantations some years ago by loaning money right and left when coffee was high. Then coffee fell, there was a poor crop. and the planters who borrowed could not pay their interest. The mortgages were foreelosed and as .no one was able to buy. the Germans took in the best estates at their own prices.
 The great trouble as to this German ownership is absentee landlordism. The coffee all goes abroad and the money stays there. while the plantations are worked with Indian labor at from 10 to l5 cents a day This small wage is prac- tically all that Guatemala gets out of her coffee crop.
 Jealous of Americans
 The Germans are very jealous of Amer jeans and they are secretly opposing every American investment. They have done this as to all electrical propositions. ana they want to keep the Americans out Of the wholesale and retail trade. As 1t is now, the largest stores belong to them and they have their drummers going over the country. Much of the business is very profitable, and this is so of all banking and mercantile enterprises.
 The ordinary interest rate is 10 per cent and the pawn brokers get per cent a month. The chief banks have franchises from the government and they make loans in return for the right to issue cer- tain amounts of currency which as have shown, is worth now only cents on the