Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-01-10
BY CLARK KINNAIRD
Exclusive Central Press Cable to
The Herald

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Jan.
l0.-Honduras is often pointed out
as an example of what United States
enterprise, which is called "Ameri-
can imperialism" in the radical
weeklies, means to Central Ameri-
a countries. Outside of the Yam
kee zone of development, along the
Caribbean, there exist the worst So
cial and economic conditions in the
isthmus. There are no railroads
no ports, no schools, N highways.
The trip from Tegucigalpa to San
Salvador, which is just a few hours
via Lindbergh's plane, takes the lay
traveller a number of days.
Going to Honduras from Salvador
on the Pacific, the visitor disem-
barks via a "ducking stool" swung
over the ships side at Amapala, on
Tiger Island, some distance from
the mainland. Freight and passen-
gers have to be laboriously toted
through mud and mosquito-infested
swamps, to the town of San Lorenzo.
The latter place is connected by
highway with the capital, Teguci-
galpa, 80 miles away.
Capital a Town of Huts
The capital city bellies the name,
being a ramshackle sort of place
composed largely Of huts. To 60
from it to the Caribbean it is neces-
ssry to travel two days or more over
roads that would have blasted Jobs
reputation, to the nearest railhead.
Once on the Caribbean coast the
whole scene changes. The railroad
has a network Of spurs, linking up
the plantations of American fruit
companies. The traveller sees q vast
panorama of enterprise.
On the Pacific side the visitor
finds the natives existing in wretch
ed huts, in a comparatively savage
state. In the American area the
same class Of Honduran is domiciled
in comfortable cottages, with schools
for the children and hospitals for
the sick. Labor is paid about four
times as much as il receives for
work on the. Pacific side-when
there is any work.
The only other developments in
the country are mines, in the in
terror. The largest of these il
American operated. and valued At
S5.000s000. This has not been a sue
cessful enterprise because Of labor
troubles and taxes. Honduras is rich
in minerals but foreign capital has
been shy about developing II be,
cause Of unsettled government con-
ditiors and the shameless conduct Of
politicians in power toward foreign
enterprise. At the present time IL is
estimated that about a third Of the
revenues Of the government, derived
largely from American business, are
spent on a useless army.
Martial Law Prevails
There has been little. Of what is
known as constitutional govern
ment" in Honduras since 1924 when
President Gutierrez, his term having
legally expired, set himself up a.
dictator. Civil war naturally fol-
lowed. Finally an election was held
and one P Paz Haraona installed in
office. His inauguration in Fehru-
airy, 1925, was accompanied by. out
breaks. The country has been inse
more or less state Of martial law
since.
Selfish American imperialism p?
One looks in vain for evidences Of it
in Guatemala, Salvador and Hon
duras. To the contrary, the visitor
IS impressed with the necessity of
the continued participation in the
development of Genital American
republics. Their dependence on
Uncle Sam is clear when one gets a
closeup OF n commerce of Central
America.
There is, however, another side TO
American activity in Central Ameri-
ca. This is strikingly apparent in
Nicaragua. United States influence
in affairs in that republic is the
subject of the next disnatrh