July i, 7908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



323 



Rubber and Other Interests in Guatemala. 



WHILE most of the news reaching the United States 

 from Guatemala is of a political character, there are 

 evidences to those who study conditions in the latter 

 country that progress is being made there, and the opportunities 

 for the investment of capital having been taken advantage of to a 

 large extent by European capitalists. It is doubtless due to the 

 fact that Americans ha\c Ijicn slower to make investments in 



Manuel Estrada Cabrera. 



[President of Guatemala.] 



Guatemala that the average newspaper reader in the States is 

 so little informed in regard to Guatemalan progress. 



President Cabrera. 



Speaking of political news, it may be mentioned that the 

 latest development in Guateinala in this field related to the at- 

 tempted assassination of President Cabrera, in April last. It 

 may surprise those persons who iinagine "revolutions" to be 

 of frequent occurrence in the southern republics to know that 

 the gentleman named has held the presidency for 10 years, 

 having been elected in i8g8. Previously he had been vice presi- 

 dent, and before that a cabinet minister, after having filled a 

 judgeship. It will be seen, therefore, that Estrada Cabrera is 

 no novice in the affairs of government. The recent attempt upon 

 the president's life has not been connected with any political 

 moveinent. He was on the street, accompanied by a young army 

 officer, when they were fired upon by a group of students, the 

 officer being killed. Some of the students convicted of com- 

 plicity in the crime were so young that Cabrera refused to 

 sign death warrants for them. 



Among the Americans who have become investors in Guate- 

 mala is Mr. Leo F. Nadeau, of Providence, Rhode Island, who 

 is interested in rubber growing and grazing in that republic, for 

 which he has been appointed consul at Providence, his home 

 city. Mr. Xadeau has recently made public some expressions 

 in regard to President Cerbrera, whom he considers enterprising 

 and progressive, and liberal toward American ideas. He says 

 that the better educated and more substantial portions of the 

 population supports the president, regarding much of the coun- 

 try's wealth and present prosperity as due to his policies. The 

 president has been active in developing a public school system, 

 and in opening the wa> for Gerinan, .■\merican and British 

 capital. 



,»/>^>^/*C' 



■^-■:^^^r 





A Rubber Plantation in Glatemal.v. 



.[View on the estate of La Nueva Providencia Rubber Co. At the left 



appears Mr. Leo F. Nadeau, secretary and treasurer of the company.] 



"Castilloa" Rubber in Guatemala. 



[The trees on this property have resulted from the sowing of seeds 

 among forest trees, and are now yielding commercial rubber.] 



