Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-19


Salvador always shows considerable In.
dependence. Its trade policy he's oedn
European rather than American. When
the maximum and minimum tariff adjust
ment was made under the Payne-AldSioh
bill it was found that Salvador. by fts
trade treaties. was discriminating some
what against the policy Of the United
States in favor Of Europe. This was an
incidental rather than an Intentional dis
crimiation. Nevertheless. sorne American
firms thought that they ought to have
better treatment. and they sought II un.
der the maximum and minimum clause.
They wanted penalty OF y per cent
placed on Salvador products imported
into the United States.
The state Department did not take very
fayorably to the idea, though II recog-
nized that something ought TO be done
for the American business firms The
discovery was made that the maximum
and minimum clause was not OF much
benefit. since all but n fraction or ! per
cent OF Salvadors products were on the
United States free list and the maximum
piled to articles that were not dutiahis
So Salvador had the hest OF that situation
from any point of view, and still has the
best of it.
thing like 7.O0ooOo annually. and man
ufacturers Of cotton textiles. various
kinds Of machinery and hardware and
flour and drugs are anxious to control the
The exports exceed the imports by from
S2.0peo00 to S3oa.os. according to the
coffee crop in a given year. SO that the
ba.ance Of trade is in favor Of Salvador.
The army is the pride of the country.
1t is we'll organized. compact and quits
modern. 1t presents much better ap-
pearance than the troops OF some OF the
(Y-f.. \
clare that it is defensive army, yet
there is a prevalent belief that in case
of trouble with Guatemala or some other
country. this army would quickly take
the aggressive.
Years ago there was President Of Sal
vador who did much to organize and per-
feet the army. He gave especial encour-
agement to sharpshooting. and was him.
self very skilled marksman. A favorite
exhibition of his was to shoot an apple
or some other article from the head OF
one of the soldiers. 1t was his way OF
showing how skillful the troops might be-
come. There were n number OF men IN
the ranks who boosted the distinction
that the president had shot an apple
from their heads There never Was emula-
ton for this distinction. hut the soldiers
obeyed orders and when the ordeal was
safely passed those who had passed it
We're men of note among their comrades.
One day the president missed fire. and
there was a dead soldier. 1t was ex
blamed afterward that the president had
been drinking and mis- hand was a Httl.
unsteady. 1t was also explained that he
felt very badly about the incident and
sent his condolences to the soldiers fam
fly. He was really good president, and
he never got over the accident.
Salvador does not rely solely on its
army to maintain and propagate it's
standing among Latin American coun-
tries. 1t has taken to itself part OF the
task of promoting Latin American unity.
with the special purpose OF ofsetting the
supposed imperialistic tendencies of the
United States. There are public men in
country is in danger OF absorption b.
what they call the colossus OF the north.
At different periods all South AMERICA
has been flooded with literature. emanat-
ing from Salvador. in which the racial
unity Of the different peoples Is set forth
and plans are proposed for uniting them
all against the United States. Salvador
put herself in the front of the procession.
Much Of this literature Is prepared by
juntas, or bodies Of students. The ycS.s
men are those who get easily worked
up over the specter Of North American
Imperialism, and write letters to other
young men urging that all unite in order
TO lay the ghost. Some of thi. feeling
is really sincere, but much Of It is
manufactured. What is needed to rem
edy it Is to have more young Saliva
dorans sent to the colleges Of the
United States.
Americans in Salvador who are en-
gagged in business. and who mind their
own business. have little trouble. They
get along well with the government and
with the people, though they con-
sciouS at times of the existence OF the
anti-American sentiment.
Most persons in the United States who
have heard of the protest forwarded to
the foreign affairs committee of thu SEN
ate against Secretary Bryan's Nicaragua
treaty will be apt to wonder what the
protest is about. Nominaliy. part of IL
is about the rights of Salvador on the
Gulf of Fonseca, which are alleged to
be menaced because the United States
gets naval coaling privileges on the Mic
araguan. strip OF the gulf, But the real
objection of Salvador to the treaty ID
that it recognizes the paramount inhu.
ence of the United States in Central
American affairs.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER