Colonel Clifford D. Ham, the American collector of customs, has reduced this debt from over thirty-two million dollars to less than nine million. There is no country in the world, except the United States, whose finances are to-day in such flourishing condition as those of Nicaragua. But this means nothing to the average native. No Latin-American is ever roused individually to a high pitch of enthusiasm over the prospect of paying what he owes. Collectively he finds the idea quite objectionable, particularly when the indebtedness was contracted a long time ago. And so he says, “These Americans turn aside at our very gates every penny that would otherwise flow into the country; they are draining the very life-blood from the nation!” He points to the fact that when the American government, a few years ago, purchased the rights to build a Nicaraguan Canal at some time in the future, and paid therefor three million dollars, the money never left New York, but was applied immediately upon that infernal debt.
The national bank has stabilized the currency, so that the Nicaraguan cordoba is on a par with the American dollar. According to the bankers there is more money in circulation to-day in Nicaragua than ever before. But the Nicaraguan insists that prices have risen so that he now can buy only half as much as in the days of Zelaya, forgetting that prices have risen throughout the world. “All the money is in the bank, and I can not obtain credit without giving security!” The Latin is not a hard, cold business man; he resents these business-like methods; he curses the commerciality of the gringo.
The railway, when the Americans took it over, was a total wreck. The employees had not been paid for two weeks, since there was just $2.49 in the cash-drawer. The names of thirty-five dead men were found still on the payroll. Some of the locomotive engineers were barefoot. Most of the workers had to draw their salary in the form of an I.O.U., which could be cashed at a twenty per cent. discount at the office of a local pawnbroker. Every one of any political prominence expected a pass; the more influential were accustomed to private cars, or to the courtesy of having the regular passenger train stop to wait several hours for them while they paid visits along the line. To-day the road is in good shape; it operates systematically as railways should operate; it operates also at a profit instead of a deficit, and is earning money which is steadily rebuying itself back into the hands of the Nicaraguan government. But the Nicaraguan is suspicious. Whenever the American manager buys a new locomotive, the newspapers proclaim that he has done so to run up the bills in order that Nicaragua can not regain control of the road.
Some day in the near future the American capitalist will retire, leaving Nicaragua in excellent shape for progress.
Since the Latin-American lives completely in the present, the Nicaraguan can not appreciate work that builds for future prosperity. He sees no visible result of the American coöperation. He knows only that his country has been at a standstill since the Americans came. He loudly damns the gringo. And all Latin America echoes his accusations against the scheming Colossus of the North. So, unfortunately, does many an American resident in Nicaragua.
VIII
Nicaragua is a lowland of tropical heat. It has the least invigorating climate in Central America. The natives are not particularly blessed with energy or industry, and are consequently rather eager to blame their lack of initiative to the stifling effect of their subserviency to the United States.
Individually they are quite ready to be friendly to any American. Collectively they love to damn the gringos. And the newspapers of Managua and León cater regularly to their taste by soaking every Yankee who attains prominence in the republic.
These papers, like the dailies of Guatemala, are mostly four-sheet publications with the flavor of rural journalism. They are printed, usually at a loss, by gentlemen of political aspirations who desire an organ for self-expression. The reporters, inspired by the same vanity, editorialize in every news report. In mentioning the arrival of an actress, they felicitate her and wish her success. In describing the arrest of some petty criminal, they express the hope that he may be convicted and hanged and dealt with not too leniently in purgatory. In attacking Americans, however, they reach their highest flights of eloquence. No article on politics or finance is complete without an allusion to “the oppressive hand of the American banker.” And when the banker has been exhausted as a source of indignant outpourings, they give their attention to the other American residents.
On one occasion they flamed out against young René Wallace, the son of a Yankee merchant, because he had organized a league of basket-ball clubs among the young ladies of Nicaraguan society. They proclaimed indignantly that he was trying to deprive the local señoritas of all modesty and gentleness by arraying them in bloomers and teaching them the hoydenish games wherein no self-respecting woman could indulge.