SALVADOR 1097 



total mileage of railways is 97 and that of telegraph lines 2706. The army has a strength 

 of 5554 men and officers (exclusive of about 18,000 militia). The navy comprises one 

 vessel with a personnel of 10. 



The Amapala Conference of November 1907, which was held between the presidents 

 of Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, was not productive of permanent peace, as had 

 been anticipated. In December 1008 a further effort to stir up revolution in Salvador 

 was made by the then president of Nicaragua, Senor Jose Santos Zelaya, who also 

 instigated an attack upon General Fernando Figueroa, the president of Salvador. Both 

 attempts proved unsuccessful. A state of excitement and unrest, nevertheless, pre- 

 vailed all through 1909, but the strong hand of the government succeeded in suppressing 

 the threatened uprising. In April 1909 the United States found it necessary to despatch 

 three warships to Nicaraguan waters in order to prevent a further incursion into Salva- 

 dorian territory. The Government of Salvador at this time showed much self-restraint 

 and great administrative capacity, with the result that the situation was robbed of much 

 of its latent danger, and, while a state of unrest continued in the neighbouring Republics 

 of Nicaragua and Honduras, Salvador settled down to peaceful conditions. 



Several important railway contracts were entered into in 1910 with an American 

 syndicate, more especially one for 75 miles of track connecting Zacapa (in Guatemala), 

 Santa Ana and San Salvador, thus securing communication with the Guatemala railway 

 and forming the eastern-division link of the Pan-American railroad. This contract was 

 followed by another for the construction of a railway from San Salvador to the port of 

 La Libertad, on the Pacific coast. Very slow progress has been made with either project. 



General Fernando Figuero, who had been elected president on March i, 1907, retired 

 from office at the end of his four years' service, being succeeded by Dr. Manuel Enrique 

 Araujo (March i, 1911), under whose administration the republic made consistent 

 headway. Not only have the general trade conditions improved, but advancement has 

 been manifested in other directions. The railways, telephones and telegraphs have been 

 extended, and several other important industrial projects initiated. The attention and 

 the resources of the Government have been devoted to the improvement of the cart- 

 roads (carreleras) which are used to a large extent for internal traffic. Salvador 

 already possesses one of the best systems of highways in Central America. 



On November 5, 1911 was celebrated the centennial anniversary of the state's inde- 

 pendence, when several additional highways were opened to traffic. The new Salvador 

 line of steamships, inaugurated at the end of 1908, continued to play an important part 

 in the economic development of the State, and the well-managed Salvador Railway, of 

 which the steamer service forms a subsidiary undertaking, likewise contributed to this 

 advancement. Owing to the favourable public rates which the Salvador line had intro- 

 duced, a " rate war " had been anticipated; but through skillful administration this was 

 avoided. The Salvador steamship line has succeeded in restoring the British mercantile 

 flag to Central American waters, from which it had entirely disappeared, and is carrying 

 on a very extensive trade between Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Mexican ports. 



In 1912 there were 486 primary schools, of which 203 were for males, 200 for females, 

 83 being mixed; they employ 851 teachers, 382 being males and 469 females. The num- 

 ber of pupils in the republic is estimated at 29,569, and the total population of school 

 age is 173,495. In March 1912 an officer of the Spanish Civil Guards, Captain Martin 

 Garrido, arrived under contract with the government to reorganise the police force of 

 the country, and to establish a body of Rural Guards for the better protection of life 

 and property in the republic. 



The finances at the end of 1912 were in a satisfactory state. In 1911 the revenues 

 amounted to 12,359,874 pesos as compared with 10,620,865 pesos in 1910. Under the 

 administration of Dr. M. E. Araujo, large repayments have been made on account of the 

 public debt ; payments to the army and navy, which under previous administrations had 

 been in arrear, were liquidated, and have since been regularly maintained. Diplomatic 

 and Consular representatives abroad, who had not been in receipt of salaries for several 

 months, were paid in full; while credits with foreign firms in Europe and the United 



