Evening star., 1913-10-19

Nicaragua to throw off its shameful
robes of stppliauce" and assurances that
Costa RicA will stand with il in arms,
as once before. to repel the Yankee in
vader. This refers to the Walker fill
buster expedition of the fifties, when a
little army of Cost Ricans and Mica
raguans did some fighting against the fill
busters. A picture of the veterans ot
some Years ago has sprung into pop
ularity.r
The situation from the Costa Rican
standpoint is serious one. Vet TO one
familiar with Latin American character
there are some perpleXing things If the
United States had proposed 4 protecto-
rate for Costa Rica. the resentment could
have been understood. but Mr. Bryan's
proposition related solely TO Nicaragua,
and the relations of Nicaragua and the
United States are the concern of the two
countries interested. Suggestions of this
kind to Costa Ricans who have more or
less to do with the affairs of the country
are merely met with the statement that
Cosa Rica is concerned in everything that
affects its Central American neighbors.
Thus it seems that not only does the
Nicaragua protectorate enter into the
Costa Rican campaign, but that Costa
Rica expects to enter into Nicarag guam
politics.
1t is clearly evident that neither Costa
Rica nor the rest of Central America was
prepared for the Bryan proposition. They
looked for something quite the opposite.
The attitude of the new national admin
iStration when it came into power in
Washington that everything the previous
adminiStra tion had done in foreign affairs
was wrong and should be reversed made
very marked impression in Central
America. This was not in any way
changed by the warning declaration that
President Wilson issued. Denunciation
by prominent senators of the landing of
American marines in Nicaragua to protect
life. and the bitter opposition shown to
the treaties for the rehabilitation of the
finances Of Nicaragua and Honduras had
created feeling that previous policies
were to be reversed by lessening the in
f1uence of the United States in Central
America Instead, the proposal for the
Nicaraguan protectorate as put out by
President Wilson and Secretary Bryan
meant the strengthening of the American
influence along with the increased respon-
sibilities.
x
Whatever forms Mr.. Bryans projects
may ultimately take, and however they
may be interpreted in the United States,
there is instructive recognition in Central
America that the present national admin
istration in power in Washington is now
committed to extend the influence of the
United States. The only question is how
that influence can be strengthened bene-
ecially
Other questions are also involved. The
investment of foreign capital has been
quite large during the past few-y ears, and
il is making for peace. Even in Costa
Rice the coffee industry is about the only
thing left in the hands of the native
landowners. and many of them are
parting with their plantations. In
the other countries substantially eN-
erything that has been done has
been due to foreign capital. RAILWAY
construction. which is the NEST helpful
form is in the hands of Americans, but
most of the capital has been obtained In
Europe. All these foreign interests. both
American and European, hail the new de-
parture with satisfaction. They know its
Importance TO their OWN enterprises as
helping on the peaceful progress or Cen
trail America, and they 90 not see now
any American administration which wants
to see a peaceful Central America can
abandon them. They do not share
Costa Rica's view of Mr.. Bryan. and they
are not concerned whether or not he look
ed very far ahead before he leaped. They