Evening star., 1913-10-19
PER- TELLS WHAT CENTRAL AMERICA TEEKs OF SECRETARY BRYAN

countries, although the government do,s9
not permit overt acts
Sometimes "a question is raised whethef
the model little republic is as modest -,
claimed. and whether she is not amb
tious To dominate All Central America. a
peaceful domination is meant. because
no other would he possible. The aspira-
don may he praiseworthy, but II also mas
have something to do with the violent oli-
position To Mr.. Bryan's policy, for what
ever that policy may nope to accomplish,
its adoption VIII end the possibility of ole
Central American country dominating
the Others.
Credit must be given the proposed Mica
raguan protectorate for some very heale-
fetal results of an indirect character
While the European natiogS CAUTIOUSLY
avoid committing themselves To Mr.. BrN
ans universal peace treaties by accepttnE
them lin principle" and employing othe
polite forms of diplomatic evasion, sht
Central American countries made haste
to accept them in entirety. including III
article which provides for the cessation
OF military preparations pending disiia
terested inquiry. IL may not be takei-
seriously i'm the United States that should
Costa Rica Salvador or Honduras Il.
about to go To war with MS they woule.
suspend their preparations for an inVa~
sion until an invest cation could be made
Yet there Is Il distinct moral influence
I'm having these countries bind themselves
by treaties of this kind with the United
States. IL gives them sense OF internac
uonal standing and consequence. Th,f
Senate would do real stroke OF Latiu
american diplomacy by ratfying these
treaties and doing Ii as soon as theS
have been submitted by the President
Another indirect result OF the Bryan
protectorate proposition is TO give lie
to what are known as the Washingtoa
conventions. These conventions. which
were signed several years ago by the
different republics of Central America
were the elimination of the efforts OF
the State Department to have them
keep the peace among themselves
They created an arbitration court. 3
permanent court of justice situated al
Cartago in Costa Rica. to adjust the
various disputes. In seeking to make
these conventions effective Washington
had forced on il the discourasing lnowl-.
edge that various countries were seeking
to control this court. Failing in this ef-
fort, they lost interest BY the proddinG
of the State Department some questions
We're referred TO the arbitration court
but it never has had much vitality This
is an undiplomatic adm ssion. yet IL Is
true. Now, the outcome OF Mr.
Bryans activities. there seems To be
sincere effort to make the arDittauon
court what II should be. The argument
is that the more successfully Central
Americans peacefully adjust their con-
troversies among themselves the less
need there would be for Intervention by
the United States, and the less probabl-
ity of a protectorate for any other
countries than Nicaragua and possibly
Honduras.
Meantime the situation of Nicaragua
is desperate. and Honduras is hardly
better off The moral effect OF the pres
ence of 10o American marines IN Mica
ragua prevents revolution. but the in
dustr.al and financial prostratioil Is so
complete that a permanent remedy must
soon he found in place of the temporary
measures. The payment of $3.Cm.M- or
canal rights and the establishment of "A
naval stat on on Fonseca bay. as pro-
vided in the Knox treaty, VIII help re-
habilitate the country II the S3,V1Op
is disbursed under American direction,
otherwise il might as well be tossed into
the sea But the evident expectation IN
, antral America is for the renewal in
some form of the proposed Nlcarasuan
protectorate. II this expectation DID not
exist there would u. less interest In the
Costa Rican election
CHARLES Nj. PEPPER