MEXICO 1087 



narrow gauge banana- carrying lines belonging formerly to foreigners, but acquired 

 by the Government on February 9, 1912, and now known as the National Railways. 



On February 16, 1910 the mint of Honduras was reopened after having been closed 

 for two years, owing to the fact that most of the silver in bars is exported. 



In 1911 the boundary question with Nicaragua was settled by the award of King 

 Alfonso XIII of Spain, while the settlement of the dispute with Guatemala by consent 

 of the government of that state, was extended for a term of two years. The mining 

 industry made some progress, there being, at the end of 1911, 700 known mines, of which 

 one-third were working. The Rosario has yielded 3,500,000 on a capital of 250,000. 



On March 28, 1911 the political unrest assumed considerable importance, which 

 induced the president, General Miguel Davija, to resign. He was succeeded as pro- 

 visional president by Dr. Francisco Bertrand; who served until the general elections of 

 November, when he failed to retain his position. General Manuel Bonilla, a previous 

 president, who for years had been a refugee in the United States, was chosen (Nov. 

 3, 1911) for the term of 4 years (1912-1916). He assumed office on February i, 1912, 

 with Dr. Francisco Bograu as Vice-President. A strong feeling of discontent prevailed 

 among the peasant classes, and uprisings occurred in some parts of the country. Many 

 of the ignorant peons recalled General Bonilla's last presidential term,, when the country 

 was stricken with an epidemic of yellow fever. The intense heat which prevailed all over 

 the country in the month of June 1912 likewise contributed; to the general feeling of 

 unrest. The banana-crops were almost entirely ruined, cattle died from thirst and lack 

 of pasturage, while vast areas of forest-land were destroyed by conflagrations. 



Early in 1912 the Government offered to enter into a, contract with United States 

 bankers for a loan of $500,000 gold (100,000) in the form of Customs notes, bearing 5 

 per cent interest, and payable half-yearly. This was followed afterwards by a general 

 reorganisation of the state funds, and a further offer made by United States financiers 

 of $6,000,000 gold (1,200,000) for 40 years, at 5 per cent; sinking fund, after 5 years 

 i per cent; the proceeds were to be limited to the refunding of the Honduran foreign 

 debt. The contract, however, was not completed, owing to political difficulties. A new 

 bank, known as La Ceiba, was established in the capital, and a similar institution on the 

 northern coast of the republic. 



The treaty of commerce, peace and navigation between Honduras and Great Britain, 

 made on January i, 1887, the exchange of ratifications of which occurred on February 3, 

 1900, was extended until April 6, 1913. 



MEXICO 1 



Mexico has an area of 767,090 square miles, and the .population according to the 

 most recent estimate is 15,063,207, giving an average of 19.6 inhabitants per square 

 mile. Imports were valued in 1910-11 at 19,201,376 and exports at 29,490,393, 

 imports from Great Britain being valued at 2,238,175 and exports to Great Britain at 

 3,950,737. The total public debt amounts to 44,333,932 (30,548,919 external and 

 13,785,013 internal). The total mileage of railways is 15,251 and that of telegraph 

 lines 46,112. The full strength of the army is given as 49,332 men and 6336 officers. 

 The navy comprises 10 vessels with a personnel of 1163. 



In April 1910 for the eighth time General Porfino Diaz was elected president; but 

 his new term proved short lived. For some .time previously mutterings of discontent 

 had been heard, the general sentiment among the people being that, after so many years 

 of rule under the same executive, a change would prove beneficial. Had the choice 

 been left to General Diaz alone, he would have respected the popular demand; for it 

 was known that he intended to occupy the presidential chair for the last time, having 

 in view as his successor Senor Jose Yves Limantour, the minister of finance. General 

 Diaz, however, allowed himself to be persuaded against his own judgment, with the 

 result that a revolution, at the head of which Senor Francisco Madero placed himself, 

 broke out in the following November, and gradually spread to all parts of the republic, 



1 See E. B. xviii, 317 et seq. 



