Arizona republican., 1920-06-09
GIVES INTERESTING ACCOUNT IF VISIT
 TO CENTRAL AMERICA

After spending three full months in Central America looking over condi- tion there, and especiaiIy cotton, for local interests, G. A. Eldred of this city returned Thursday from his trip to the tropics with an interesting ac- count of his investigation. During his stay in Central America he travelled through the five republics of Nicara- qua, Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador and Costa Rica, and in addition went through the recent revolution in Qua temala.
 The main object of MT. Eldred's trip was to look into the growing of cotton in Central America. He reported last night that cotton there is not success. It grows very well, but the prevalence of boil weavil in all the Central Amer ican countries makes cotton growing a failure.
 Cattle and hogs, however, do very we'll in the Central American districts, though the cattle there are small ex- cept in Guatemala. Hogs do especial ly we'll, finding plenty of feed in the jungles and fattening without attention from their owners. Guatemala is the best cattle country, the cattle being large and good marketing conditions being available at home. Horses are small everywhere in that region.
 Mir Eldred found many Americans in the Central Americans countries, and reported that Americans and Eng lishmen are going in in numbers. Ger mans, however. are leaving the coun- tries, most of them going to Colombia.
 While there are many Americans there, however, Mir. Eldred said last
 
 as yet, though he found one colony in process of formation with the object of raising cocoanuts. Americans in Gen. tral America are meeting success in raising bees, he said. Corn grows very well there.
 Conditions in Central America are generally prosperous, said MT. Eldred partly due to the recent war. Ameri- cans are sure of being well treated and are well liked as a rule. The Gen. tral Americans are going in for sugar cane at present, deyoting considerable attention to that crop and improving their sugar cane mills. Coffee also is an important crop in Central America Mahogany is an item of size, and is exported in quantities. Pineapples and other fruits also are grown.
 i Land prices in Central America have ! advanced in recent years with those ir other countries, MT. EIdred discovered From $0O 10 3t0 an acre IS DelnZ 2SkGO in some cases in Guatemala, but large 1 tracts of land can be purchased in that country for from $5 to $10 an acre Guatemala offers the most opportuni- ties for ranching. Mir. Eldred reported
 The large cities in Central America are few, and average about 60,000 ir population. Salvador and Costa Rica have the best cities, and these coun- | tries offer the best chances to Amer jeans who want to start business ir | Central America. Laborers receive or an average 40 cents a day, and th' countries are no place for Americans who wish to earn their living by man ual labor
 MT. Eldred was in Guatemala durins the revolution there some weeks ago but found that Americans suffered ns inconvenience. Americans were no disturbed by either side. and the onl, request made of them was that the, keep out of the way of danger. Tn fighting centered in the capital city, al is usually the case.
 Lack of real shipping facilities is factor in keeping Central Americ' back. MT. Eldred said last night Steamers visiting the countries ar small and old, as rule.
 This was MT. Eldred's first visit t Central America since ten years age
 He also has travelled extensively il Mexico and the Pacific.