The foreigner in Guatemala is absolutely safe, and travelling in that country is as free from danger as in our own land. Sensational rumours sometimes appear in American newspapers about the imprisonment of American subjects, but, if the reports are true, the persons arrested no doubt deserve punishment, for meddlers and persons seeking to escape punishment for wrong-doing in other lands frequently seek an asylum in the Central American republics. Were they innocent our own officials would be called upon to right the injustice, and this government has not deemed it necessary to interfere. The country is practically free from robbers and it is absolutely unnecessary for the traveller to make of himself a walking arsenal before visiting Guatemala. The natives are harmless and trustworthy. One can entrust thousands of dollars with a cargador to be carried across the country, and, if he is informed that he will be held responsible for his charge, the native will accomplish his mission or die in the attempt. This trait of fealty to trust is a striking characteristic of the native character.
The cause of education has been promoted very much in recent years and schools have been established in many of the villages. The “Festival of Minerva” was instituted as an annual commemoration in the interest of education. It was thought that a popular celebration would draw the attention of the people to the value of education and would stimulate the desire for greater learning. To a certain extent it has succeeded, and there is no doubt that a larger percentage of people can read and write to-day than was the case a decade ago. At least limited facilities for primary education exist in most of the villages, but the schools are entirely inadequate to accommodate those of school age. Education is compulsory in theory, but practically voluntary in practice, because of the non-enforcement of the laws. The appropriations are wholly inadequate for efficient results.
There are six papers published in the capital. “The Diario Official” is a government organ. Then the other more important publications are the “Diario de Centro-America,” “La Republica” and “La Nacion.” In all there are about thirty papers published in the entire republic. All of these newspapers are subject to strict government supervision and censure. Any mention whatever of a revolutionary movement would bring severe punishment upon the head of the offending editor. It is even forbidden to give an account of murders and assaults that take place. It is easy to see that an editor’s position is not an easy one, for his range of news is limited and an overslip might lead to confiscation and imprisonment.
The fluctuating value of the currency of the country is an unfortunate condition. There is absolutely no silver or gold money in circulation. A customs examination of my baggage upon leaving the country caused me to inquire the purpose of it. The reply was that the law forbids the taking of silver out of the country. As I had not seen a silver coin in circulation this explanation made the examination seem like a jest. Paper certificates issued by the banks, together with minor coins of alloy, constitute the sole currency. The value of these dollars fluctuates from six to eight cents on a gold basis. This is rather to the advantage of the investor, however, as he pays for all native supplies and labour in the depreciated currency of the country and sells all his productions at gold values. The wages of unskilled labourers are very low, averaging from one to two and a half dollars in paper per day, or from eight to twenty-five cents per day. The best results are obtained by assigning a task to the peon. He will perform the allotted task, but extra pay is no inducement for him to work overtime. The only consideration that will move him to do extra work is the promise that the overtime will be credited on another day in order to give him an extra holiday.
The foreign trade of Guatemala slowly increases each year. The last year for which statistics are available, 1907, show total exports amounting to $10,174,486 and imports of $7,316,574. Of the exports, the bulk of which is coffee, Germany is the largest consumer, taking 53.79 per cent. of the total, while the United States uses only 21.6 per cent. In the matter of imports the proportion is different and the United States has a fair proportion of the trade. Of the total imports the United States furnished 58.1 per cent., and its nearest competitor is England with about 22 per cent. to her credit. Spain, the mother country, brings up the rear with less than two per cent. of the whole. The value of the goods imported from the United States for 1905 was only $1,442,000, and those sent in return $2,292,000, showing a considerable balance of trade in favour of Guatemala. The chief imports from the United States consist of foodstuffs, hardware, railroad supplies and cotton goods. Germany has the lead in machinery, and England provides by far the most of the cotton manufactures, furnishing at least three-fourths of the entire imports of that line of goods.
Guatemala, because of its nearness to our seaports, ought to be an unusually good market for the United States. With the opening of the new railroad to the Gulf, the Capital, which is the chief distributing point, is placed within such easy communication of our southern ports, such as Galveston, New Orleans and Mobile, that Europe can not successfully compete if all other conditions are made satisfactory. American concerns ought to furnish practically all the manufactured articles needed by Guatemala, and can do so if the business is properly looked after. Upon this subject a recent consular report says: “If this field is properly worked and sufficiently long credit is given, practically nothing but American goods need be found in the markets of Guatemala, for they are generally conceded to be the best. The market is worth cultivating, for the next few years will see great development here. Everything points that way, and the national resources are great. Packages should be very firmly nailed and bound by band iron, so that they would be difficult to open, as there is much complaint about goods being stolen from boxes in transit. It will pay exporters to pack well everything they ship. Dollars spent in this line will bring hundreds in profits.”
Another report says: “It must be borne in mind that the importers of this republic are for the greater part Germans, and their interest and inclination lead them to trade with the fatherland. England also is preferred over the United States, possibly because Guatemala merchants can more easily identify themselves in England, and get better credits. American goods therefore are imported only when their quality places them so far ahead of the European article that the merchant is almost compelled to have them in stock. The American manufacturers should become better acquainted with this trade, ascertain who are worthy of credit, and extend it. The long voyage and delay en route compel the importers to ask long credits. It is sometimes two or three months after shipments destined for this city leave the manufacturer, before they can be displayed in the store of the importer. The custom duty on about all cotton goods is collected on gross weight of the package. Great care should be taken with invoices for custom-house purposes; the goods must be described in exact phraseology of Guatemala custom tariff.”
A credit of nine months is generally asked, and this is readily granted by European merchants, but Americans usually demur at this long credit and trade is lost. Furthermore, American salesmen seldom understand the Latin nature or even the language, and endeavour to hurry sales. They want to get away by the next train or steamer, while a European drummer will cultivate his trade leisurely. In the end the sales are large enough to justify his methods and very little is lost by failures if reasonable precaution is exercised.
The conquest of what have heretofore been regarded as the unhealthful and disagreeable features of the lowlands of the tropics is now at hand. Those localities where yellow fever has prevailed and that troublesome mosquito, the stegomya fasciata, has heretofore held sway, will soon come into their own. The transformation that has taken place at Panama, Colon and Havana will be repeated along the whole Caribbean Shore and great and prosperous ports will take the place of the little towns which are now found. When modern methods of drainage and sanitation, sewerage, and water supply have been installed, those coasts will be the site of prosperous cities almost as desirable as those more distant from the equator.
The possibilities of life in the tropics are so favourable that an almost unlimited population can be supported. The island of Java, with an area scarcely as large as Guatemala, supports a population of twenty millions of people. Bangkok, the capital of Siam, located at sea level, about the same distance from the equator as Guatemala, is a city of wealth and good sanitary conditions and has a population of about four hundred thousand. These comparisons might be made in great numbers, all tending to show what capabilities of development now lie inert right at our very doors.