HAITI 1085 



had invaded Guatemala in March 1906, the conditions of the country remained unsettled 

 and several attempts upon the ruling president's own life were made. Drastic steps 

 were taken to restore order, numerous executions and arrests being carried out; towards 

 the end of 1910, however, conditions materially improved. 



In February 1910 the boundary convention concluded between Guatemala and 

 Honduras (on March i, 1895) was extended for a period of two years, until March i, 

 1912; and on December 8, 1911 the Convention was still further extended until March 

 i, 1914. In December 1910 a treaty was signed between Guatemala and Mexico, rela- 

 tive to the construction of a bridge across the Sachiata river, connecting the two repub- 

 lics. The bridge has since been completed and opened to traffic. About the same 

 time the works on the Guatemalan section of the Pan- American railroad were begun. 



Education continued to make progress; in the early months of 1911 there were open 

 1670 primary and secondary schools, the attendance during the previous year having 

 been 54,000, thus showing an increase over the preceding twelve months 'of 250 schools 

 and of 7,019 pupils. In April 1911 a general amnesty was granted to nearly all prisoners 

 within the jurisdiction of the law, the gaols of the Republic having become over-filled, 

 especially in respect of political prisoners. 



In May 1911 Guatemala ratified the Geneva Convention signed on July 6, 1906, for 

 the amelioration of the condition of the sick and wounded of armies in the field. In 

 July arrangements were entered into with a South American syndicate for the loan of 

 $25,000,000 (5,000,000), with the proceeds of which it was intended to recall all the 

 paper currency of the country, at the value of 15 cents gold on the dollar, and thus 

 place the Republic upon a gold basis. This course, however, was again deferred. 



The seven Conventions signed at Managua (Nicaragua), January 1912, by the 

 Guatemalan delegates to the Fourth Central American Conference, were ratified that 

 year. Renewed efforts were made to arrive at a settlement of the external debt of 

 Guatemala upon the same principle as that which obtained in the case of Honduras and 

 Costa Rica. In November 1912 the British Government, after exemplary patience, 

 determined to compel Guatemala to restore the security, which had been alienated, 

 and to renew payment of the coupons upon its debt, amounting, without the arrears of 

 interest (extending over 13 years' default) to 1,482,800. The exceptionally indefen- 

 sible treatment of the foreign bondholders had long occupied the earnest attention and 

 closest efforts of Sir Lionel E. G. Garden, H.B.M. Minister to Guatemala, and it was 

 due to his capable services that the British Government acting in conjunction with 

 that of Washington was induced to move energetically in the matter. 



Owing to drought, considerable poverty has existed among the native population, 

 the prices of most articles having risen during 1912. The prospects of an improvement 

 in the economic conditions, however, were bright. 



HAITI 1 



Haiti has an area of 10,200 square miles, and the population (of whom the great ma- 

 jority are negroes) according to the most recent estimates is 2,020,000, giving an average 

 of 198 per square mile. The expenditure was estimated in the budget of 1911-1912 at 

 1,547,550 (amended figures). The total public debt amounts to 7,737,078 (2,469,719 

 external and 5,267,359 internal). The total mileage of railways is 61 and that of 

 telegraph lines 123. The army has a strength of /7ooo men. The navy comprises 5 

 vessels with a personnel of 80. 



General Antoine F. C. Simon assumed the presidency of Haiti on December 17, 1908, 

 but .failed to introduce any improvement in the government, which still showed evidence 

 of inefficiency in practically every department. In July 1909 an arbitration convention 

 was concluded between Haiti and the United States, ratification being exchanged in the 

 following November. In 1910 the long-outstanding boundary dispute between Haiti 

 and the Dominican Republic was referred to the decision of the Court at the Hague. 



On July 14, 1911, the Haitian Government informed the representatives of Great 



1 See E. B. xii, 824 et seq. 



