Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-26

gained from the interesting story
,Dritten by Rer Collier, The Stars
oUn representative on the trip,
Which began January TO- The story,
NTH all its intimate details, triH
continue in The Star until completed.
BY REX COLLIER.
Picturesque, unsophisticated ANA
pala!
Struggled Enthusiastically against the
northern slope of an inverted bowl of
| rock, which rises from the smooth sur
face of the Bay of Fonseca to form
| Tigre Island, the modest little Pacific
seaport town did not present itself to
view until the Marylands launches,
carrying newspaper men and other adj
vance members of the party, were
almost upon it.
The battleship had anchored some
| seven miles away, in the gateway to
| the bay, as Capt. Kimberly had de-
cided it would be impracticable to nav
| igate the big vessel further inshore. The
| first motor boats, carrying correspond
| ents and photographers and several
members of Mr.. Hoover's staff. had left
the anchorage Immediately and headed,
with spray flying, toward the befoliaged
mountains basking in the early morning
sunshine.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hoover, Ambassador
Fletcher and others of the official staff
were to follow about half an hour later,
which would put them ashore about
8 o'clock.
None of the party knew what ar
rangements had been made to greet
the good will mission. The exchange
of radio messages between Tegucigalpa.
the capital, and the Maryland had been
meager. The reception plans had been
diplomatic representatives ashore, col
laborating with Honduran officials.
Capital Lacks Railroad.
The Honduran government had hoped
that Mr.. Hoover could visit the capital,
more than 100 miles inland, but in
view of the lack of rail connections the
plan had to be abandoned. AS it was,
the Honduran officials had been able to
reach the island export town only
after rough and tiresome automobile
ride over far from modern highways.
The unpaved mountain roads connect
ing the capital with the chief Pacific
port of Honduras become impossible
after rains and then one must resort
to horseback or oXcart. A three-hour
launch ride from the mainland COM
pletes the journey.
But Amapala does not worry about
its lack of rail connections and its poor
highway facilities. Amapala does not
worry about anything. The 1000 dark
skinned, tropically- inhabitants of
the colorful town have plenty of natural
advantages to offset the liabilities. They
point with pride to their harbor-one
of the best along the west coast of
Central America. They boast about
their climate, although they admit it's
pretty hot in the afternoon-but who
wants to work in the afternoon, any,
way? And they will tell you about the
stable export trade they carry on,
thanks to their country's resources in
the way Of silver, coffee, indigo, timber.
hides and fish
Amapala wants the world to know
that while she may be few years be-
hind the times, judged in the light Of
modern conveniences, she is, neverthe-
less, sitting pretty"
Amapala All Dressed Up.
Monday, November 26, 1928, found
Amapala all dressed up In her holiday
clothes and downright excited, for the
first time in her young life, perhaps.
Never had she been honored as she was
being honored this day. To show her
appreciation she had shut up shop,
dug up her spare supply of American
flags and draped herself not only with
these, but with reams of pink and white
and light blue crepe paper bunting. All
OF her population, with few exceptions,
was down on the wharf or along the
water front.
The bunting was the first thing to
catch the eyes of the party as the
launches churned around bend in the
shoreline and hove into view of the
town. There wasn't much of a feet
In harbor at the time, but what there
was OF 1t was covered laviShly with the
fluttering, gayly-colored crepe paper.
The fleet consisted principally of small
fishing Smacks, whose crews had de-
serted them in order to take part in the
festivities on shore.
Down lane of these boats the land
ing party made its way toward the main
wharf, wooden, paint-hungry struc-
ture that extended several hundred feet
| over the water and ended in a some
what weatherbeaten shelter, with moss
green steps leading to the waters edge.
The wharf was crowded with people,
! all bending their necks over the rail-
ing for glimpse of Americas Presi-
dent-elect and First-lady-to-be.
Crowded on Wharf.
The boats Unanswered their way
slowly to the steps, while the folks on
the wharf fidgeted and elbowed for
places Of vantage. All of the sparkling
| brown eyes were strained to catch
sight Of the Hoover countenance-a
countenance as familiar in Central
America as in Belgium or China.
We're newspaper men," the officials
at the top of the steps were told, in
response to their salutes and bows. If
the disclosure was disappointing the
officers concealed their feelings. A
young man, evidently a Latin, but
dressed in immaculate American
clothes, stepped forward and voiced a
welcome in perfect English. He said
he was with DR.. Colindres" and that
he would be glad to act as Interpreter
and guide to the press. The press
wanted to be guided to a cable office
post haste, for bulletins must be cabled
concerning the arrival of the good will
mission at its first destination in Cen
trail America.
The cable office shared quarters with
an exporting concern in a succeed
business building half block from the
wharf. It was reached by a walk
through the main business street--a
narrow cobble-stoned thoroughfare de-
void OF automobiles and all other
| forms of traffic, with the exception OF
an oxcart at the far end.
An automobile could not have ne.
gotiated the length of the block with.
out causing complete disruption oil
Amapala's holiday marketing activi
ties, presided over by several gingham-
clad women of Indian descent Sitting
languidly beside several soapbo1
| counters" niled with Sen1i-rina bananas