Guatemala, the country of the future Part 7

Immigrants also include the foreigners whose transportation is not paid by the government or by private companies. The wearing apparel and household furniture, tools, domestic animals and other possessions of immigrants are entered at the custom-house free of duty.

An important provision authorizes the government to grant gratuitously to immigrants lots of public lands in certain districts provided that the immigrants bind themselves to cultivate within two years the third part of the land granted. For this purpose zones of tillable land are set apart in the districts named.

Immigrants are exempted for a period of four years after their arrival from service in the construction or repair of the public roads and from the payment of munic.i.p.al taxes. They are also exempted from military service except in the case of foreign war. They enjoy all the rights and privileges granted by law to Guatemalan citizens.

PUBLIC LANDS FOR SETTLERS.

Under a general law a body of official engineers was created for surveying and distributing the uncultivated public lands and fixing the prices therefor. The price varies according to the nature of the land, whether it is for grazing, raising cereals; whether capable of raising sugar, banana, etc.; whether adapted to coffee and cotton, or whether it contains forests. Public lands may also be granted to immigrants gratuitously. Information on these points can be had through correspondence with the Department of Agriculture called "Direccion General de Agricultura," in Guatemala City.

President Estrada Cabrera's land policy has been directed especially to prevent great areas from being kept out of cultivation. He has dictated many measures with the purpose of breaking up the huge estates that often are uncultivated for want of capital and making them productive through the encouragement of small capitalists or farmers.

The general system of highways and cart roads as well as of the railroads has been devised for this purpose.

With regard to colonization and immigration the policy of securing the benefit of the favored soil to settlers has been indicated in the correspondence with various companies and individuals. In a report by the Director of Agriculture he declared that immigration from North America would be very pleasing to Guatemala and would strengthen the cordial relations existing between the two countries. That the immigrants will be well received he was a.s.sured. Their practical character would be especially valuable in developing the resources of the country. The Director, however, called attention to the fact that in many places of the country the geological conditions were not similar to the prairies of the United States where in the beginning very much could be accomplished on a large scale by machinery. In many of the districts open to settlement in Guatemala much of the work of clearing would have to be done by hand. That is one reason why encouragement is given to the individual settlers instead of to companies.

To broaden and strengthen the present immigration law the Department of Agriculture has recommended that certain lands be thrown open to settlement on the following conditions:

1. The government shall make the plan for the colony dividing the lands into lots of one caballeria (112 acres).

2. The settler shall take immediate possession of the lot which is granted him.

3. The government shall aid the removal of the colonists from their present place of residence to the point where they intend to settle.

This aid to be extended under conditions which will insure its repayment.

4. The colonists on taking possession of their land shall obligate themselves to begin cultivating some of the following articles: rice, corn, beans, coffee, cacao, vanilla, rubber, cotton, hemp, etc.

5. The government shall designate from among the colonists some one who shall give general instruction with regard to the farming.

CHAPTER VI.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

Friendly relations with all countries, both neighboring and distant, is a leading point in President Estrada Cabrera's programme. The relations of Guatemala with the United States are particularly close and cordial.

In his annual message President Estrada Cabrera said:

"It is well known that the grand Republic of North America always has shown the most sympathetic regard for our country and the earnest effort of my government has been to strengthen the ties of friends.h.i.+p which unite the two nations. With this feeling existing there has been achieved during the period since 1898 the most flattering results, so that it can be confidently stated that never before have the relations between Guatemala and the United States reached so great a degree of cordiality as to-day, and it may be said that never has any cause of discord between the two governments been so remote as now. The death of the ill.u.s.trious President McKinley, which was felt so deeply in Guatemala, and the advent into the Presidency of Mr. Roosevelt in no way interrupted the progress of affairs with our Republic and those which were pending followed their tranquil course towards a satisfactory arrangement."

The Secretary of Foreign Relations in his annual report said:

"Motives a.n.a.logous to those which in foreign governments have caused congratulation over the re-election of Senor Estrada Cabrera as President of Guatemala have made it pleasing that the government of this Republic on its part could extend its congratulations over the re-election in the United States and Mexico respectively of Messrs. Roosevelt and Diaz, two eminent statesmen whose conciliatory policies are well known, as likewise their sympathetic regard for Guatemala. The continuation of these ill.u.s.trious personages in power is considered by this government as a guaranty of the increasing cordiality of the relations of Guatemala with them and it has also enabled at the same time to be placed in evidence with all sincerity the satisfaction which has been produced by their re-election in their respective countries."

These are correct statements, for the sentiment of profound sympathy and admiration which President Estrada Cabrera and the whole people of Guatemala entertain for President Roosevelt and for the American people are very marked. For President Roosevelt on account of his grand traits of character, of mentality and of heart and the spirit of humanity, justice and rect.i.tude which make of him the chief magistrate most conspicuous, most respected, most popular and most cherished of the present day; and for the American people on account of their intelligence, their enterprising disposition and their unceasing labors for progress, which have gained for them so pre-eminent a place among all the nations of the earth as one of the grandest, most nouris.h.i.+ng and most powerful.

ADHERENCE TO THE HAGUE PEACE PRINCIPLES.

These quotations indicate the sentiment of Guatemala towards the two countries with which geographically and otherwise it is most closely allied. Further evidence of the friends.h.i.+p for the United States and of the desire to sustain its policies of international peace were afforded in the promptness with which President Roosevelt's suggestion of a second Peace Conference in The Hague was accepted. With regard to the United States the Secretary of Foreign Affairs stated:

"Knowing the importance of our relations with the great American nation it was a grateful duty to send a special mission to Was.h.i.+ngton with the sole object of congratulating President Roosevelt. For the discharge of this function Senor Jorge Munoz was selected and he discharged it with entire satisfaction to the government. This mission having been disposed of he was accredited permanently as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.

"Inasmuch as it was not one of the ancient nations of Europe, but a young and virile Republic, the strongest in America, which launched the project through its distinguished President of a second Hague Conference to perfect and complete the works of the first one in favor of universal peace, it is to be hoped that this effort will be seconded by all the countries of the civilized world and that at no distant time when experience shall have shown the deficiencies in the conclusions adopted by previous Congresses those which may be adopted in the coming Peace Conference will be more efficacious for the success of the humanitarian and praiseworthy end which the United States proposes."

Guatemala previously had given its adhesion to the principles of arbitration promulgated under The Hague Convention. It was represented in the Second International American Conference held in Mexico 1901-1902, and the various treaties and recommendations made by that Conference were ratified or endorsed as in the case of the other signatory governments. The action taken by the government of Guatemala on the respective conventions and recommendations was officially transmitted to Senor Mariscal, Secretary of Foreign Relations of Mexico, in accordance with the resolution of the Conference.

PECUNIARY CLAIMS ARBITRATION.

Among the treaties promulgated by the Pan-American Conference in Mexico was one relating to pecuniary claims. This required the ratification of five governments in order to make it effective. Guatemala was one of the first to give its formal adhesion to this convention. This treaty was ratified by the United States Senate and promulgated by the Department of State from Was.h.i.+ngton in the spring of 1905, so that United States citizens can now claim its benefits. The treaty consists of five articles. Under its terms the high contracting parties agree to submit to arbitration, through the Hague Court, all claims for pecuniary loss or damage which may be presented by their respective citizens and which cannot be amicably adjusted through diplomatic channels and when such claims are of sufficient importance to warrant the expenses of arbitration.

By virtue of Article 26 of the convention of The Hague the high contracting parties agree to submit to the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration established by that convention all controversies which are the subject-matter of the Treaty unless both parties should prefer that especial jurisdiction be organized according to Article 21.

If for any cause the Permanent Court of The Hague should not be opened to one or more of the high contracting parties they obligate themselves to stipulate in a special treaty the rules under which the tribunal shall be established as well as its forms of procedure.

In 1902 the administration of President Estrada Cabrera negotiated and the National a.s.sembly ratified an agreement with Germany, Belgium, France, England, and Italy, which disposed of many subjects that had been in controversy.

Spain, the United States and Mexico did not enter into the agreement because those governments preferred to postpone the claims of their citizens until the industrial crisis was over and the financial conditions were improved. Since that time a number of claims have been adjusted satisfactorily. President Estrada Cabrera stated in a recent message that there were no claims at the present time which were weighing upon the national treasury. These matters having been arranged satisfactorily he said that no subject had arisen which could alter the friendly relations with the countries of Europe. This friends.h.i.+p was shown in the tribute paid by the Diplomatic Corps on New Year's day.

Subsequently the governments of Germany and France had shown especial consideration by conferring on the President the Order of the Red Eagle and of the Legion of Honor respectively.

With Mexico the relations of Guatemala have been cordial since the boundary dispute was settled in 1895. Recently the commercial relations, on account of the construction of the Pan-American Railway through Mexican territory to the Guatemalan border have required the establishment of various consulates in important places in Mexico, and the exequaturs have been granted by the Mexican government.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLAZA OF JOCOTENANGO, GUATEMALA CITY.]

CONCORD IN CENTRAL AMERICA.

With respect to the neighboring republics of Central America the att.i.tude of Guatemala has been open and p.r.o.nounced. It desires to destroy every cause of discord among the Republics and to maintain a perfect equilibrium. Guatemala took part in the conference which was held at Corinto, Nicaragua, in August, 1904, and at which Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua also were represented. Through its delegate President Estrada Cabrera's government subscribed to the following declarations:

1. To maintain peace is the princ.i.p.al objective of our government, not only because it is a necessity for the various peoples, but also because it imposes itself as a duty which all Spanish American nationalities should fulfil. For this reason we firmly believe in the proposition to overcome in Central America every obstacle that may stand in the way of peace and we will put forth our strongest efforts to frustrate the schemes of those who seek to sow distrust and jealousy among us impelled as they are by the spirit of ambition or disorder.

2. The strict compliance with the international compacts which bind us shall be the test to which we submit our acts so that every effort to the contrary will be vain and barren since it is necessary to recognize that the generality of the labors of the enemies of each administration tend to no laudable ends but rather are the work of selfish egotists, of personal enmities or the aberration of unbalanced judgment.

3. We do not hesitate then in declaring that whatever scheme of discord, subversive attempt, or suggestion which proposes to break our loyal friends.h.i.+p shall receive no support among us because the sincerity and firmness of our relations as representatives of the peoples whom we serve are and always will be affirmed in this solemn agreement, which we make at the instance of Central America; an agreement which is the fruit of the efforts we have made as public men on different occasions.

4. We expect that all good citizens will give us in the sense indicated their patriotic co-operation inspired in ideals of peace and fraternity and contributing by supporting us in this accord to place an end to the discord which the enemies of the public tranquillity cause. And also upholding the liberal and progressive policy which governs our acts.