GUATEMALA. 



379 



that the formalities of the Ottoman law should 

 be observed in the case'of any person changing 

 his religion, and that questions of marriage 

 or succession between Mussulmans should be 

 judged by Mohammedan tribunals, which should 

 retain their connection with the Sheik-ul-Islam. 

 Some of the demands were rejected, as not 

 transferring in full sovereignty of the province. 

 The delegates of the powers added to the docu- 

 ment the line of the new frontier, and condi- 

 tions as to the time and mode of evacuation. 

 The transfer of the territory was to begin im- 

 mediately, under the superintendence of an 

 international military commission. The Turk- 

 ish authorities proceeded leisurely to prepare 

 for the evacuation. A convention identical in 

 substance with that made with the powers was 

 concluded between the Porte and the Hellenic 

 Government. This document was signed July 

 2d. The direction of the evacuation was in- 

 trusted to Dervish Pasha, the officer who ef- 

 fected the transfer of Dulcigno to Montenegro. 

 Arta was handed over to the Greek authorities 

 on the very last day allowed by the terms. 

 Punta had been evacuated by Hidayet Pasha 

 through a mistake the preceding day, but being 

 reoccupied before the entry of the Greeks a 

 possible collision was averted. There was a 

 considerable exodus of Mohammedans previous 

 to the occupation, but this soon stopped, and 

 many of those who left returned. Excel- 

 lent discipline was maintained in the occu- 

 pation by the military of the successive zones 

 evacuated according to the stipulations of the 

 convention, and ready money was paid for all 

 supplies. The Turkish officials had collected 

 the taxes for the current year before leaving. 

 A difference arose between the Turkish mem- 

 bers of the commission and the representatives 

 of the powers regarding the delimitation of the 

 new frontier in Thessaly. The latter maintained 

 that the line should run, according to the con- 

 vention, between Hritiri and Zarko along a 

 crest of hills northward of the Salambria, 

 while the Turkish representatives insisted on 

 carrying it across the river. This was made 

 the subject of a note from the embassadors to 

 the Porte. 



The special Turkish post-office at Larissa 

 was abolished by the Greek Government. The 

 Ottoman Government thereupon addressed a 

 note to the Greek Government demanding that 

 all the Greek post-offices in the Turkish Em- 

 pire should be closed. The Greek minister to 

 Turkey, Condouriotis, replied that the Hel- 

 lenic Government maintained separate post- 

 offices in Turkey, the same as the other powers, 

 and under the most-favored-nation clause in 

 the treaty of commerce, whereas the operation 

 of foreign posts in Greece was forbidden by 

 the Constitution. 



GUATEMALA (REPU BLIOA DE GUATEMALA), 

 one of the five independent states of Central 

 America, has still to settle the old question of 

 limits with Mexico, and determine the owner- 

 ship of the territory of Soconusco, which has 



long been administered by and regarded as 

 forming a part of the Kepublic of Mexico. In 

 1881 Guatemala applied for the friendly inter- 

 vention of the United States ; but Mexico re- 

 fused to submit to arbitration or even discussion 

 of the question, asserting her right to the dis- 

 puted territory by option of the inhabitants 

 themselves, and an undisturbed possession for 

 fifty years. 



Statistics concerning area, territorial divis- 

 ion, population, etc., will be found in the 

 " Annual Cyclopedia " for 1875 and 1880. In 

 the late census returns, published on October 

 31, 1880, the population of the republic was 

 set down at 1,400,000, against 1,197,054 in 

 1872 ; and the population of the capital at 

 62,186. The civil registry office recorded dur- 

 ing the year 1880, 31 marriages; 165 naturali- 

 zations ; 18 strangers domiciled in the city ; 54 

 men and 69 women recognized as legitimate 

 children ; 755 men and 751 women died ; and 

 634 male and 556 female children born. The 

 number of births for the whole republic was 

 48,927; that of the deaths, 23,346; increase, 

 25,581. 



The President of Guatemala is General Ru- 

 fino Barrios, elected May 7, 1873, for a period 

 of six years. His term of office was prolonged 

 by decree of the Constitutional Assembly under 

 date of October 23, 1876 ; and he was re-elected 

 March 15, 1880, for a period of six years. The 

 Cabinet was composed of the following minis- 

 ters : Foreign Affairs, Dr. Lorenzo Montufar ; 

 Interior, Dr. F. Cruz; War, Sefior J. M. Ba- 

 rrundia ; Public Instruction, Sefior Delfino San- 

 chez; Agriculture, Seflor A. Pefia; Public 

 Works, Sefior M. Herrera. 



The Guatemalan Minister to the United 

 States is Sefior Don A. Ubico ; and the Consul- 

 General (for the Union) at New York, is Sefior 

 Don Jacobo Baiz. 



The United States Minister to the five Cen- 

 tral American republics (and resident in Gua- 

 temala) is Dr. Cornelius A. Logan ; and the 

 United States Consul at Guatemala City, Mr. 

 J. F. Medina. 



The armed force of the republic comprises 

 2,180 men in active service and 33,229 militia. 



The organization of a police force has been 

 reported, under the direction of an ex-police 

 official from New York, who appears also to 

 have been intrusted with the framing of a 

 special code for the regulation of the force. 



The report of the Inspector of Public In- 

 struction* for 1880 shows decided progress in 

 educational affairs. In six of the superior in- 

 stitutions of learning the cost to the public 

 Treasury was $104,393.96, in addition to con- 

 siderable sums received from pupils and for 

 examinations and degrees. The schools were 

 in a high state of efficiency, increasing attend- 

 ance, and the appropriations for school funds 

 on a correspondingly higher scale than for any 

 other year. The fostering of education has 

 been one of the constant cares of the Presi- 

 * See "Annual Cyclopaedia" for 1830, p. 850. 



