The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-01
COSTA RIGA, ITS NEEDS
AND ITS RESOURCES
FRANK u. carpenter Interviews President Jiminez About
Ills Country and People.-American Capital Needed
for Coffee Plantations

&c opSt u j
i suppose money invested IN Costa
fsica would be safe" said /. inter
negatively.
Most certainly it would If put in
the right place and with due re-
CARO- 10 the examination Of titles. We
nave an excellent title system in his
country and you al buy land Just
as safely here as you can at YOUR
nome. There is no danger Of revo-
iutlons and the conditions are quite
as reliable as anywhere in the world
Why Costa Rica Has No Revolutions.
~ Is 1t, your excellency, that
costa RIca does not have revolutions?
Ihey are common in the other Cen
tral American republics and also in
Mexico now
There are a number of reasons
replied Don Ricardo. In the first
place this is d small country and our
people have plenty to do to make a
nation Is a peace-loVing one. The
population is not like that Of Guate-
mala, Nicaragua and Honduras, which
Is largely composed Of Indian blood.
n most Of our inhabitants are pure
whites. You will seeAthis as you walk
through the streets. and especially out
through the country. You will see
many barefooted and the faces and
feet are as white as your own. These
people are the descendants Of Span
iards from the northern part of the
lberian peninsula. We have COM
paratvely few Indians and our an
cestors did not tntern1arry with them.
Another reason why Costa Rica
has no revolutions" continued the
president, "is because the lands here
are very evenly distributed. We have
a large number OF real estate owners
and nearly every countryman has his
own little farm with his patch Of
bananas hi0 p9T6on Of fruit hio fo16c
for vegetables or grain and his little
coffee plantation. The people will not
leave these to go out to fight. and you
cannot get them to take up arms
against the government. They say
they cannot leave their farms, and
that it pays them to remain at home.
They realize they are far better off
without revolutions"
The Boundary With Panama.
VIVA Is the population Of Costs
Rica?"
ut is less than 100000, out the
country could support many times
that number. Costa Rica has an area
larger tina many Of our states. II
is bigger thar Maryland, Massachu-
sets and Delaware combined"
But you do not know just what
land you have? l understand that
the boundary between you and Pana-
ma is unsettled"
Yes, that is so, but the amount
of and in dispute is not great. The
question Of the boundary was first
submitted to President Loubet, the
president Of the French republic. but
his decision was so manifestly unjust
that the question was again opened
up n we have chosen the Chief Jus
tice of the United States Supreme
Court to arbitrate it. A commission
Of Americans is now making the sur.
veys and mapping the boundaries. anG
it will soon be satisfactorily settled
hi work is costing a great deal OF
money, however, and l am in doubt
whether the cost will not more thar
equal the value of the lands in dis
pute."
What is the feeling here as REGARD:
the United States?"
ut is friendly. We had SOM
trouble with the United Fruit Com
pany, but that has passed away ant
the two nations are on h best O
terms. We do most Of our trading
with you, and you sell US over hal
Of all that We buy. The most of ou
coffee goes to Europe, but you still
, take the bulk Of our bananas. I an
in hopes to see the relations Of tn
, two countries come closer and closer.
) Earthquakes and the Canal.
! The conversation here turned agai1
7 to the canal and | said to Presiden
JimeneZ:
You are living here in the earth
{ quake belt. Some OF your cities hav
been shaken out Of existence and yo'
are subject to volcanic disturbance
!, every lew months. 20 o think tina
:. the earthquakes will ever destroy tn
Panama canal?'
= would not like to prophesy 9
to that WIS the reply. Il under
). stand that Panama has had but fey
o earthquakes. but n can never te
what will come. You had better as
Colonel Goethals that question:
Il did ask him." said I, land hi
reply was that when the National Car
itol ut Washington was crumbled t
earth by 4 quake thar he would b
afraid for the canal, but not unit
l. then.
u Il am glad he is so confdent,' re
piled the president Of Costa Rica. :
wish could he as sure Of the safet
Of my own little country
e Costa Rica's Deb
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