The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-15
LATIN AMERICAS FESTIVAL

EIOIH In0 fIlO dTdnO0 10 Pdndmd a the festival spirit will be much in evil dence the latter part of this week. All of the Central American states celebrate Independence Day today, in
 memory of the dusky patriots who threw off the Spanish yoke on Sept. IS, 1921. The sixteenth of Septem-
 Der is the great patriotic fete of Mexi- co, commemorating the "El grito de Dolores' or declaration of indepen- dence issued by Hidlalgo on Sept. 16, 1S10. During the long reign of Por- firio Diaz the fifteenth of September was also celebrated as the birthday of the "Presidente. but the party now In power has no desire to honor the memory of Mexico's Iron Dictator. |" Up to 1921 the Central American states comprised the Spanish king dom of Guatemala. After several un- successful uprisings, Central Ameri- ca gained its independence in 1921. The Spanish governor, -Gabino Gainza, went over to the revolutionists, and was rewarded by his election to the presidency of the provisional junta of Guatemala. Soon afterward the Gen. tral American states were annexed to tho Mexican empire of Iturbide, but II, the Central American states formed federation under the name of the United States of Central America. Af- ter fifteen years of civil feud. insur- rections and mutual Jealousy, the states dissolved their union and be- came independent nations. Since then many attempts have been made to form new union, but all such pro- jects have failed.
 The Central American states. like NMexico, have been torn by freouent revolutions, and subjected to the ra- pacity of despotic dictators and tbe exploitation of foreign capitalists. Ni- caragua's submission to the interfer. ence of Uncle Sam is bitterly resented in the other Central American states The Anglo-American is an unponu1ar individual in most Central American n states, although he is tolerated for the prosperity he brings in his wake
 or the Central American states. Costa Rica is the most prosperous and progressive, and Salvador, the smallest Of Americas Republics, has also be- come of late years thriving and stable state. Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras. the larger states pos- sess vast undeveloped riches, as min ing, numbering, grazing and agricuI- tural countries.
 Salvador has fewer Indians than any of the other Central America n states. The Spanish blood has also
 been we'll preserved in Costa Rica. and there the mixture has been more with the Indians than with negroes
 The Afro-1ndian compound so pre- vaIent in the larger states has pro- duced human being not at all agree able from the white mans viewpoint. and very difficult to get along with. In Costa Rica and Salvador. on the contrary. the rural population is com posed Tor the most part of a pleasa mt and agreeable type of people more like the peasants of southern Europe than resembling the uncouth, sullen semi savages of the other states.
 Central America has yet to realize the Democratic ideal of the patriots Of a century ago, but the more pro- gressive states are now approaching the goal. "A bad government is bet ter than a good revolution" has be- come proverb in Salvador and Costa
 Rica. They are weary of war and
 bloodshed, and they are gradually put- ting their political house in order by peaceful means. They are a proud people, the better class of Central Americans. and they bitterly resent the attitude of those North Americans kand Europeans who sheer at them as "comic opera nations" and "banana republics