Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29

BY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

~ ENTRAL AMERl , Asa. attitude it," ce TO-
~ many is somewhat complex. There
~ are five independent republics to
be taken into account. Each is jealous of
it's own independence of action. but each
recognizes that there should be something
like identical action so that Central Amer
lea would stand out a unit.
No publicity has yet been gsn to the
efforts to secure concord. but undoubtedly
there has been an interchange of views
between the different governments, of which
Washington has not been kept in ignor-
ance With possibly one exception. none
of the republics is pro-German, although in
several of them there are secret springs of
influence emanating from German sources.
The difficulty in Central America, when
it comes to securing identical action. is
that several of the countries have differ
ences among themselves and the United
States is more or less involved. 1t is the
old question of which group shall have
the preponderating influence.
The recent contention has been over
the treaty between the United States and
Nicaragua, under which the United States
paid Nicaragua 100000 for canal
rights and for rights on the Fonseca bay.
1t was declared that the sovereign rights
of Costa Rca and Salvador were in
fringed by this treaty, since they, too,
have canal rights
They claimed that Nicaragua had no
right to make such a treaty unless in CO.
operation with them. Consequently. they
cited her before the Central American
court of arbitration. which was estab-
lished through the influence of the United
States a dozen years ago in order to induce
the Central American countries to forego
the practice OF going to war with one
another in order to settle their disputes
Each of the five republics is represented
in the court
Nicaragua paid no attention to the
rendered against her. Nor has she paid
any attention to this judgment. The
United States also has ignored it. The
State Department was not ready to adj
init that its treaty relations with any
of the Central American countries came
within the jurisdiction of the court
but there was an expectation that the
controversy would be Strengthened out
by later treaties with Costa Rica and
Salvador.
Nicaragua has every reason for in
dorsing the entry of the United States
into the war with Germany as she has
done officially and formally. The pres
ent administration is the outcome of
the Washington policy and owes its
existence to the American marines who
have been stationed in Managua for
the last four years.
The opposition, under the leadership
of Gen. IriaS. is said to be plotting with
German agents. and this was not at all
improbable. Gen IriaS was the legatee
of Zelaya, whom Secretary Knox caused
to be driven out of the country Ze-
laya took refuge in Europe, but Irias
was given hospitality in Costa Rica,
after the manner of all the Central
American countries in extending the
rights of asylum to political refugees.
He came back to the country last
fall as the candidate of the liberal
party. or a faction of it. and under the
assumed guarantee of free election
Eut when he found that Gen Chamorro
the candidate of the outgoing admin
istration, was also the candidate of the
American legation and the American
marines. he withdrew his own candi-
dacy. After Gen. Chamorros election
lie came to the United States and di-
vided his time between New York and
Washington. Then it was said that he
had returned to Central America.
German influence in Nicaragua is
not so strong in some of the other
Central American countries. There are
some Germans in business and there
are few German colonists in the in
terror who are engaged in raising cof
fee, but they are not numerous. No
reason exists why Nicaragua should
not align herself fully with the United
States
Costa Rica, Notwithstanding the in
terrogative and partially hostile atti-
tude she has maintained ever since Mr..
Bryan enlarged the treaty negotiated
by Secretary Knox with Nicaragua, was
prompt to take her stand with the
United States. The de facto government
offered the unrestricted hospitality of
her ports to Washington This offer
was not accepted offhand, for a very
good diplomatic reason. The reason