40,000, is the only European colony in Central America. Its inhabitants
are Indians and negroes, with a few mixed breeds, and less than a
thousand whites. It has no railways, although some effort has been made
to get capital interested, so far unsuccessfully. The British Government
seems to have completely neglected this possession. Its rivers,
navigable for some distance, serve all its transportation requirements.
The topography and climate of all these countries is much the same.
Mountain ranges cross and recross them, having peaks of considerable
altitude, many of which are still active volcanoes. As is obvious, these
mountain systems influence the climate to a marked degree, making it
always pleasant and spring-like in the plateaus extended between them,
as well as in the intermediary table-lands. The higher elevations are
always cool, while the low-lying coast-lands are extremely warm and, as
a rule, unhealthy. The watershed which they form deflects the streams
arising in them toward either the Pacific or the Atlantic. If harnessed
these streams could be used to great advantage for light and power. Near
the coast they are navigable for small steamers of light draft and
canoes and are also useful in getting out lumber, affording a cheap
method of transporting it to the coast.
Due to the smallness of the countries, and the complications in the way
of engineering problems, especially in the mountains, there are
comparatively few railways.
Costa Rica has 490 miles of railroad, by means of which the capital is
kept in touch with ports on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Salvador has about 174 miles of railroad in operation with about fifty
more in progress of construction. Transportation in the interior is made
convenient and comfortable by the 2000 miles of really good roadway
built in accordance with the most modern methods.
Guatemala contains 450 miles of railroads which afford an ocean to ocean
communication.
Honduras possesses slightly over 100 miles of road, in a bad state of
repair, with obsolete rolling-stock. Engineers are making preliminary
surveys which will mean a material addition to the railway mileage here.
Nicaragua maintains about 225 miles of railway which touch her leading
cities. In addition to this, Lake Nicaragua, 92 miles long, and Lake
Managua, 32 miles long, are used largely for transportation purposes and
have a fair-sized fleet of steamers operating in connection with the
railways.
Panama has no railways of its own at present, although $3,000,000 has
been borrowed from New York bankers for the purpose of building lines
throughout the Republic.
The Panama Railway, owned by the United States Government, passing
through the Canal Zone, and about 50 miles in length, may be considered
as a portion of the railway system of the Republic of Panama for its
citizens have the use of it for every purpose.
Substantially all the railways of Central America are equipped with
American rolling-stock and operated with but few exceptions under
American control. It is extremely doubtful if the demands of these
republics will warrant a very great expansion of railways for years to
come.
These countries have no manufactories, and were designed by nature to be
agricultural. In time, with the development of steamship service they
may become truck gardens for the United States, as their soil is
admirably adapted for vegetables, early fruits, melons and berries. In
some districts, especially in Nicaragua and in Honduras, cattle could be
raised much more extensively. There are mines, but not of sufficient
wealth to attract much capital.
Owing to the diversity of zones, there are opportunities for many
varieties of fruits, vegetables, and cereals. For centuries these
countries have been covered with the most luxuriant tropical growths, so
that the subsoil is overlaid with a thick mould estimated at over ten
feet deep, capable of excessive productive possibilities. Tobacco,
sugar, indigo, rice, corn, coffee, cocoa, cocoanuts, and bananas, are
the principal products.
Virgin forests are numerous; in fact they exist throughout Central
America. There is an abundance of pine, oak, many natural hardwoods,
such as ironwood, and mahogany, plenty of cedar, and a host of ideally
grained cabinet woods, susceptible of high polish. Logwood, dividivi,
quebracha, and other trees furnish dye woods. Throughout these countries
grows the Peruvian balsam from which the well known balsam of commerce
comes. There are rubber trees. Much of the chicle from which chewing-gum
is made comes from these lands, as well as other gums of a medicinal
nature.
Banana growing has done much to bring prosperity to Costa Rica,
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama and the chances are that this
industry will become the chief one of all these countries, along their
lowlands, which are so well adapted to the propagation of this fruit now
so much in demand.
As an evidence of the growth of this business and what it means to these
localities, let me state that in 1913 Costa Rica exported $5,200,000
worth of bananas; Panama, $1,150,000; Nicaragua, $425,000; Guatemala,
$825,000; Honduras, $1,400,000, and British Honduras, $200,000. And this
trade is yet in its infancy. The markets of Europe, notably Germany and
England, are also supplied from these countries and within twenty-five
years the demand will undoubtedly double, due to the opening of the
Canal, which permits the dispatch of the fruits along the west coast of
South America in modern vessels.
Coffee is also an important export. In 1913 Costa Rica exported
$3,600,000 worth of coffee; Nicaragua $1,780,000; Guatemala $12,250,000;
and Salvador $7,900,000.
Gold and silver amounting to $6000 was exported from Panama last year;
$875,000 from Costa Rica; $900,000 from Nicaragua; $900,000 from
Honduras, and $1,600,000 from Salvador.
These with hides and skins, cocoanuts, ivory nuts, cabinet and other
woods, rubber, balsam, chicle, tortoise-shell, pearl shells, sugar and
tobacco form the principal items of export.
The exports and imports during 1913 were as follows:
_Country_ _Exports_ _Imports_
Panama $ 2,467,556 $10,400,000
Costa Rica 10,432,553 8,778,497
Nicaragua 3,861,516 4,966,820
Salvador 9,928,724 6,173,545
Guatemala 14,449,926 10,062,328
Honduras 3,300,254 5,132,678
British Honduras 2,850,000 3,500,000
The bulk of the export and import trade of all of these countries is in
the hands of the United States, due to our geographical position, and
the fact that we have many citizens living within their boundaries,
engaged in various enterprises. England, Germany and France are our
closest competitors. Perhaps Germany has more real money invested here,
and there is a great preponderance of German mercantile establishments
throughout these nations. The following table gives the details for
1913:
IMPORTS TO CENTRAL AMERICA FOR 1913
_Country_ _U. S._ _Germany_ _United Kingdom_
Guatemala $5,053,060 $2,043,329 $1,650,387
Salvador 2,491,146 713,855 1,603,846
Honduras 3,463,662 558,327 751,651
Nicaragua 2,549,026 804,038 939,290
Costa Rica 4,515,871 1,355,417 1,303,187
Panama 5,483,678 970,263 2,453,118
British Honduras 2,250,000 7,280 300,000
EXPORTS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA FOR 1913
_Country_ _U. S._ _Germany_ _United Kingdom_
Guatemala $3,923,354 $7,653,557 $1,600,029
Salvador 2,823,251 1,699,694 705,607
Honduras 2,869,188 176,112 13,467
Nicaragua 1,766,548 702,265 515,381
Costa Rica 5,297,146 509,804 4,364,436
Panama 2,130,000 240,000 86,000
British Honduras 1,325,000 55,000 675,000
Each one of these countries requires cotton and woolens, iron and steel
supplies, corrugated iron, tools, machinery, food-products, flour,
wines, liquors, mineral waters, wooden ware and manufactures,
agricultural implements, soaps, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, surgical
instruments, boots and shoes, hats, hardware, oil, candles, electric
supplies, glassware, coffee sacks, socks, stockings, rubber goods,
musical instruments and paints. In fact they are dependent upon the
outside world for all the manufactured necessities of life.
American money is accepted in preference to any other throughout this
part of the world, although each country has its individual monetary
system.
In the Canal Zone American and Panamanian money is interchangeable, that
is either United States or Panama currency is equally well received. The
Republic of Costa Rica as well as the English Colony of British
Honduras, are on a gold basis, while Spanish Honduras and Salvador are
on a silver basis, the national money in common circulation in Guatemala
being inconvertible paper, subject to daily fluctuations, dependent upon
market conditions and the law of supply and demand. Nicaragua and Panama
are on a gold exchange standard basis.
The following table gives the necessary data as to the monetary units
and the respective value in United States gold:—
CENTRAL AMERICAN CURRENCY
_Country_ _Standard_ _Unit_ _Value in _Condition_
U. S.
Gold_
Costa Rica Gold Colon 46½ cents Staple.
British Honduras Gold Dollar 100 cents Staple.
Nicaragua Gold exchange Cordoba 100 cents Staple.
standard
Panama Gold exchange Balboa 100 cents Staple.
standard
Honduras Silver Peso 39 cents Practically
staple.
Salvador Silver Peso 44 cents Practically
staple.
Guatemala Inconvertible Peso 5 cents Subject to daily
paper fluctuation.
In all these countries the subject of commercial travelers’ fees may be
dismissed briefly, by stating that British Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama
and Salvador require the payment of fees and the others do not. By the
exhibition of tact it is often possible to evade these charges,
especially if proper arrangements are made with some local agent or
merchant.
The following cities should be visited:
_Country_ _Cities_ _Population_
British Honduras Belize 20,000
Guatemala Guatemala City 100,000
Quezaltenango 25,000
Coban 23,000
Salvador San Salvador 70,000
Santa Ana 60,000
San Miguel 30,000
Honduras Tegucigalpa 40,000
La Ceiba 10,000
Nicaragua Leon 70,000
Managua 40,000
Granada 15,000
Bluefields 6,000
Costa Rica San Jose 50,000
Cartago 5,000
Puerto Limon 6,000
Panama Panama 40,000
Colon 20,000
Bocas del Toro 10,000
With the single exception of Salvador, all these countries are most
easily reached from the eastern coast, there being many passenger and
freight vessels with regular sailings from New York, Baltimore, Mobile
and New Orleans. The United Fruit Company maintain an excellent
bi-weekly service between the chief ports of Central America and New
York and New Orleans.
Steamship service along the west coast is miserable, passenger and
freight rates being excessive. The passenger ships from San Francisco
are old, poorly equipped, slow and the food inferior. Travelers are
recommended to enter these countries from the east, taking the railway
across to the west coast, and a local coasting steamer thence to their
destination. The Kosmos Line maintains an irregular service from San
Francisco. Salvador has a national line of steamships, making calls at
ports in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala and going as far north as
Salinas Cruz in Mexico, the western terminus of the Tehuantepec Railway,
from which goods coming from the eastern part of the United States,
after crossing Mexico, are reshipped for Central American west coast
ports.
XIII
MEXICO
Prior to the invasion of Mexico by the Spaniards, the Aztecs who
inhabited the country, had developed a wonderful system of religion,
education, civilization and government. Hernando Cortes landed April 12,
1519, at about where Vera Cruz is now located, marched inland, and with
the aid of friendly Indians succeeded in finally conquering the
inhabitants, burning their cities, destroying their libraries and
killing their emperors, in reward for his service being made Governor of
New Spain as the Spaniards called this land in 1522. The Spanish
possessions in Mexico and Central America were united for the purposes
of government, and a viceroy appointed first in 1535, this method for
the control of these colonies being used until 1821. Spanish rule in
Mexico, as with all of her dependencies, was harsh, and the spirit of
revolt came to a head in 1810, under the leadership of a Spanish priest,
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who was defeated and executed in 1811. The
movement for freedom was kept alive by another priest, Jose Maria
Morales, who was captured and killed in 1815. In 1821 Augustin Iturbide
defeated the Spanish army and was successful in having himself crowned
Emperor of Mexico July 21, 1822. He was forced to abdicate in 1823, and
to leave the country, but returning in 1824, was captured and shot. On
the departure of Iturbide, Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana proclaimed
the country a republic, Guadalupe Victoria becoming the first president.
Spain sent an army to regain Mexico in 1829 but was utterly defeated,
within three months after landing, and ultimately the Spanish Crown
recognized the independence of Mexico, Dec. 28, 1836.
[Illustration: MEXICO]
April 21, 1836, Texas seceded from Mexico and was annexed to the United
States in 1845, following which Mexico went to war with its northern
neighbor, was conquered and had her capital occupied by American troops.
Taking advantage of the American Civil War, Napoleon III, aided by
England and Spain, in 1862 placed the Austrian prince, Maximilian, on a
throne in Mexico, maintaining him in power by a European army. When the
Civil War had terminated and it became evident that the Washington
government would oppose this European invasion of Mexico, Napoleon III
withdrew his military support, Maximilian was captured, and on June 19,
1867, was shot at Queretaro. On the death of the second Emperor of
Mexico, the republic again came into being; six presidents had
controlled its destinies up to the assassination of Francisco Madero and
the assumption of the executive power by Victoriano Huerta. Porfirio
Diaz, who ruled from 1877 to 1911 gave Mexico a stability that it never
possessed before or since.
More than 300 successful or abortive attempts at revolution are recorded
during the stormy life of Mexican independence. A confusion of empires,
republics, dictatorships and military usurpations have succeeded each
other with bewildering rapidity. Between 1821 and 1868 the form of
government was changed ten times, over fifty persons succeeding each
other as presidents, dictators or emperors. And the end is not yet in
sight. The curse of anarchy and military dictatorship hangs over the
land like a pall. Murder, assassination, execution, rapine, the wanton
destruction of property and the complete paralysis of the commerce of
the nation make us ask how long can this continue? It is safe to assume
that when some man is found strong enough to take up the frayed
fragments of this people, and bring order out of chaos, a republican
form of government will again be established.
Its constitution, based after ours, calls for a federal form of
government, the various states being free to regulate their internal
affairs; the executive power is vested in a President and Vice-President
elected for six years each, with a legislative body of two branches,
namely, a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies.
Mexico, including the islands along its coast and Southern California,
extends over an area of 767,097 square miles. Its northern boundary is
the United States, a coast line of 4574 miles on the Pacific Ocean marks
its western and southern limit, in connection with a portion of
Guatemala and British Honduras, while a little section of Guatemala,
1400 miles of the Gulf of Mexico and 327 miles on the Caribbean Sea form
its eastern confines.
Two mountain systems traverse the entire country between which are a
series of plateaus of various altitudes and many fertile valleys. An
evidence of the extent of these elevated table-lands may be formulated
when one realizes that Mexico has fifty-three cities located above an
altitude of 4000 feet. Mexico City in the valley of Anahuac is 7850 feet
above sea level. The mountains have many high peaks and extinct
volcanoes, always covered with snow, the chief ones being Popocatepetl,
17,748 feet, Ixtaccihuatl, 16,176 feet, and Ajusco, 13,628 feet.
Owing to the location of the country partly in the Temperate and
partially in the Torrid Zones, the climate is diversified, the varying
altitudes tempering extreme heat, except, of course, along the low lands
near both coasts. There are two seasons—the wet and the dry, the times
for the rains being materially governed by the altitude and location,
but generally corresponding respectively to our winter months.
The present population is about 14,000,000 although it was estimated to
be 15,063,207 in 1910. The greater number of these people are unlettered
Indians, and mixed breeds. There are some negroes about the coastal
regions. Most of the business of the country is in the hands of the
foreigners, Americans predominating, with many English, Spanish, French
and Germans.
There are about 16,000 miles of railway in Mexico in actual operation,
with 1000 more contemplated. The Mexican government owns 8612 miles of
road, while the remainder is controlled by private interests. These
roads form a network in the interior, and lead from both coasts and the
United States toward Mexico City.
Mexico has no large rivers suitable for the navigation of ocean-going
vessels to any great distance. She has, however, much available water
power, which is going to waste, and possesses thirty-four deep water
ports on her eastern shore and thirty-one on the Pacific.
The chief wealth of Mexico is in her mines, although agricultural
products and the raising of cattle add much to her source of revenue,
the annual value being estimated at more than $200,000,000.
The soil is exceptionally productive, yielding coffee, henequen, corn,
cocoa, tobacco, fruits, beans and cotton. At one time much rubber was
exported and there are to-day many estates of cultivated rubber unable
to ship their products.
The forests have valuable woods and have been but little exploited. In
the north are excellent pine forests, while cedar, mahogany, dye and
many cabinet woods abound in the south.
Henequen-growing, from which rope is made, is a prosperous and
profitable industry in southern Mexico. Chicle, the gum from a resinous
tree, is found throughout the tropical forests of the country, while
guayule, a sort of bastard rubber, is being grown extensively. Owing to
the troubled condition of Mexico for the past few years, it has been
impossible to get authentic data as to the quantities exported in these
various lines.
Over $700,000,000 is invested in mining in Mexico, of which sum
$500,000,000 is American, $90,000,000 English, $10,000,000 French and
$30,000,000 Mexican.
The leading minerals exported in 1912, the latest records available,
were:
Silver $44,784,177
Gold 24,952,558
Copper 13,285,192
Lead 3,009,060
Antimony 859,876
Zinc 441,897
The production of petroleum is rapidly increasing, in 1912 over
17,000,000 barrels being the output from the wells.
Mexico has been dependent upon Europe and the United States for her coal
supply, her yearly requirements being about 5,000,000 tons of which she
produced from local mines almost 1,000,000 tons. There are, however,
enormous deposits of this commodity and under proper development Mexico
could supply her own needs in this line as well as become an exporter.
The local industries comprise paper mills, cotton-mills, cigarette
factories, woolen-mills, breweries, sugar refineries, shoe, furniture
and match factories. They produce only sufficient for home consumption.
Mexico exported goods to the value of $150,202,808 in 1913, while during
the same period her imports reached the sum of $97,886,169, the United
States buying and selling the greater portion thereof.
The following table shows the relative amounts of exports and imports
credited to the leading mercantile nations.
_Country_ _Imports from Mexico_ _Exports to Mexico_
United States $48,643,778 $116,017,854
United Kingdom 12,950,046 15,573,551
Germany 12,610,384 8,219,009
France 9,168,977 3,575,509
The monetary system of Mexico to-day is completely disorganized, owing
to the issuance of paper money by the many revolutionary leaders. Mexico
is nominally on a gold exchange standard basis, the _peso_ having a
value in American gold of 49.846 cents. Prior to the present unrest in
this country, there were direct banking connections between Europe and
the United States.
Some of the states and municipalities charged commercial travelers’
taxes, while others did not. As a rule these fees can be evaded.
Under ordinary conditions travel accommodations in Mexico are not bad
and the hotels passable.
The following are the leading cities:
_Population_
City of Mexico 500,000
Guadalajara 120,000
Pueblo 100,000
Monterey 65,000
San Luis Potosi 61,000
Vera Cruz 60,000
Merida 50,000
Guanajuanto 42,000
Aguas Caliente 40,000
Morelia 40,000
Queretero 40,000
Zacatecas 36,000
Chihuahua 35,000
Orizaba 35,000
Toluca 30,000
Jalapa 25,000
Saltillo 25,000
Tampico 25,000
Torreon 25,000
Colima 21,000
Campeche 20,000
Irapuato 20,000
Mazatlan 20,000
Cuernavaca 15,000
Manzanillo 12,000
Mexico may be entered by rail from the United States at Nogales, Ciudad
Porfirio Diaz, Ciudad Juarez and Laredo. There are many lines of
steamships from Europe, New York and Gulf ports, plying to the larger
eastern coast cities. Its western coast is reached by direct steamship
lines from San Francisco, Canada and one line every two weeks from
Japan, calling en route at China, Hong Kong and Hawaii, and proceeding
down the west coast of South America, touching at all the leading ports
to and including Coronel, Chile.
XIV
CUBA
Cuba is so near to us and our commercial and political relations with it
are so intimate that it is worthy of careful study. It was discovered by
Columbus on his first trip to America October 28, 1498, and in 1511
Diego Velasquez was appointed its first Spanish governor. His principal
task was the subduing of the warlike Carib Indians. In 1762 when Spain
was fighting England and France, Havana was captured by the English who,
when peace was finally declared, returned it to Spain.
Many sporadic attempts at independence were made, the earliest dating
from the beginning of the last century when all of Spain’s colonies in
this hemisphere revolted. None was successful, however, until American
intervention in 1898 when Cuba became free and in May 1902 inaugurated
her first president.
[Illustration: CUBA, PORTO RICO and JAMAICA]
Cuba, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, but a few hours sail from Florida,
is 760 miles long, slightly over 90 miles in width at its eastern end
and about 20 miles at its western extremity with about 2000 miles of
coast line containing many deep water harbors. Its area covers 45,881
square miles. Situated 38 miles off the southern coast of Cuba is the
Isle of Pines, containing 1214 square miles, with a population of 3500,
including many American colonists engaged in raising citrus fruits. The
island is governed by Cuba.
The chief topographical features of Cuba are the many mountain ranges
which cross and intersect each other, the eastern end being particularly
mountainous, with one peak 8600 feet high. Between the mountains are
many fertile, healthful and beautiful valleys and plateaus.