The sun., 1912-07-07
|SHOW Of ARMED FORCE
| IN BIG BANANA WAR
United Fruit Company's Men
Said to Have Closed Roads
to the Atlantic.
GOVERNMENT TAKES HAND
Costa Rica Forhids Interference
With Traffic-Strike
Complication.

kfNosro Jamaica, June 81. he ha-
mana war in Costa Rios bet ween the United
and Atlantic Frui, companies wages
merrily. The former company which
has had a monopoly OF the republics ha-
mana trade for years past. is using every
effort. even to show Of armed force.
to keep its younger rival out.
A fortnight ago the Atlantic started
10 buy fruit. whereupon the United.
which owns the Northern Railway,
promptly seized all the fruit put out
along the line for transportation 20 Limon
and by armed force prevented the At
lantic securing any bananas at all
Affairs quickly assumed serious as
rect. and the Governor Of Limon reported
to Fresiden, Jininez as follows:
Il. is nv painful duty to inform YOU
that I have received information yester-
day TO the effect that EMPLOYEES of IN"
United Frui, Company and the Costa Rica
Railway Company. supported ny their
, chiefs. are ohstructinS persons selling
their fruit 10 the Atlantic Fruit Company
Al the present moment employees
cf the Costa Rica Railway and /. F.
Company. according 70 information
given me by a sergeant Of police. are
ohstructine people carrying fruit on their
shoulders 10 the metallic wharf tor the
steamer Prinz Joachim. moo-cd along
side, sold 10 the Atlantic Company | have
given orders TO arres, and conduct 70
quartet any ard every person who i'm
pedes the carriers in conveying the fru.t
/ 10 the side Of the ship
I await your orders in this respect
- >S Of
action
Pres,oen, Jiminez re lied ~ telegraph
as follows
! ar. rove Of your conduct in respect
20 the metallic wharf ca hardly
c-edi. tho information that the chief
officials of the Costa Rican Railway and
United Fruit Company arc aiding their
inferior employees in the way you report
70 me. hu, IL the Atlantic Frui: ompanv
indicates the places where distractions
are being placed 10 impede the delivery
Of fruit on the railway line. by roads or
public ,horouchfa-es leading 20 the point
| os delivery. or bv lanes us bv these
deliverers Won will send 10 each and every
locality policeman where these illegal
ohstructions are being carried out and
arrest those concerned
The commander Of the port reported
lowing terms,
Receiving information last night that
between Cniguita and the cemetery
armed men were impeding the passage
Of traffic ordered the second COM
mandante Of police. Major Solano, 10 pro-
ceed % the point with police 10 investi-
gate the matter in the locality indicated
The police found Moses Soto, redro Pac-
heco and Carlos Vsgras armed with re-
volvers and machetes the first named B
the second with a mache,e and the third
with a stick.
On being asked by Major Solano m"
meaning OF their action they replied
that they had been ordered by the chief
of the railway 70 intercept and turn back
all persons coming tow rd Limon with
. bananas on their shoulders or on horse
back. Major Solano arrested thes" par
ties named later on. and on a similar
charge stephen Broadbent. Elisha Francis.
Thomas Morris. Septimus Morris, Michael
Brown and John johnson were also ar
rested and placed at the order of the
agent Of police for trial am of the
opinion that We are on the eve Of serious
conflict between the Atlantic and L. +,
Companies.
4 have issued orders TO redouhie the
vigilance in acting in a prudent manner
TO prevent a disturbance Of the public
peace.
4 shall act with energy in case End it
necessary. but need your instructions
To this the President reflied:
"Your action has my entire approba-
| ton; you will use all the force at your
command to maintain the free traffic. as
siding in the republic in obtaining all
the fruit acquired by their honest labor"
Last week the United Fruit Company
applied to President Jiminez FOR soldiers
to protect It's farm. and a detachment
Of 200 armed men was sent them for
the purpose OF watching over all
farmers having contracts with the com
pany, so that none Of the fruit can be
passed over TO the Atlantic. The United
Is also said 10 be shipping all the
laborers out Of Ilmon 30 as TO create
a labor shortage in the port and pre-
vent the Atlantic getting stevedores TO
load their ships. one result of this has
been that the laborers on the wharvcs
have struck for more pay. The United
also Is fencing In the Northern Rail
way with view to blocking all the
roads by which fruit is brought for
shipment.
The Atlantic promptly compa.a to
the Government, which has ruled that
the railway cannot prevent pedestrian
traffic for industrial purposes along or
across their tracks. and where a path
way has been permitted for over wear
such a pathway cannot be obstructcd
but becomes a public highway.
The Costa Rican newspapers are
ironically suggesting that the United
Fruit Company should next try to seize
the Government
In spite Of all drawbacks, however.
the Atlantic was able to ship some
fruit last week on the Prinz Joachim.