348 



GUATEMALA. 



GUNS FOR COAST DEFENSE. 



ports of the republic, shall receive a draw- 

 back of 3 per cent, on the present customs 

 tariff ; but merchandise imported by steamers 

 of lines already established, or that may sub- 

 sequently be established, between San Fran- 

 cisco and Panama, shall only be allowed a re- 

 duction of 2 T 9 -j5- per cent, of such import duties. 

 Central American Union. On April 15, 1887, 

 the treaty concluded at Guatemala between 

 the five republics of Central America was offi- 

 cially published. The aim of the Diet there 

 assembled was " to establish an intimate rela- 

 tionship between them, and by making the con- 

 tinuance of peace certain, to provide for their 

 future final fusion into one country." The 

 treaty contains thirty-two articles: 



The first declares that perpetual peace shall exist 

 between the republics, that alt differences shall be ar- 

 ranged, and that in the event of this proving impos- 

 sible, such differences shall be submitted to arbitra- 

 tion. But should armed disputes arise between two 

 or more of the republics, the others bind themselves 

 to observe the strictest neutrality. All the republics 

 bind themselves to respect the independence of each 

 state, and to prohibit the preparation in any one of 

 armed expeditions against any of the others. Article 

 VI provides that all citizens of the different states 

 shall enjoy similar privileges and rights throughput 

 all of them. The Constitutions of the states which 

 do not contain this proviso will be reformed to make 

 them accord with this article. Article VII stipulates 

 that citizens of any of the Spanish- American republics 

 may become naturalized after one year's residence, 

 and natives of other countries alter three years' resi- 

 dence. Under Article VIII, citizens of one republic are 

 exempt from military or naval service in any of the 

 others, and from forced loans or military service or 

 duties, and they shall not be compelled", under any 

 circumstances, to pay either ordinary or extraordi- 

 nary taxes higher than those paid by the natives of 

 the state. Article XI enables natives of any of the 

 signatory republics to exercise in all of them, but 

 subject to the local laws, their professions or trades 

 without other requisite than the presentation of their 

 documents, with proof of personality and the stamp 

 of the office of the Executive. Article XII permits 

 transport by land or sea between the contracting re- 

 publics of all articles indigenous to or manufactured 

 in them, and they will be exempt from all customs or 

 taxe_s. This article will go into torce on Sept. 19, 1890. 

 Articles X11I to XVII establish a reciprocal freedom 

 of navigation between the five countries ; an equality 

 in port privileges; civil, commercial, and cnminal 

 suits are placed on an equality in each state. Article 

 XIX provides that the consular or diplomatic agents ot 

 any of the republics must act for a citizen of any of 

 the contracting parties when called upon to do so. 

 Article XX establishes the right of ownership in all 

 literary productions. Article XXI provides for the en- 

 trance into the Postal Union of the five republics, and 

 declares all printed matter free of postage. Article XXII 

 provides for the telegraph service between the differ- 

 ent states, and for the further reduction of present 

 rates. Article XXIII authorizes the free exchange 

 of official and private publications. Article XXV pro- 

 vides for the establishment of a general system among 

 the five states of coinage, weights, and measures, pro- 

 fessional and consular rules, and of the penal and 

 civil codes. Article XXVI provides for the assem- 

 bling of an international congress every two years. 

 Article XXVII provides that the contracting parties 

 will endeavor peacefully so to frame matters that ulti- 

 mately the establishment of a Central American con- 

 federation may become possible. Consequently mem- 

 bers of the conference to meet in 1890 will be fully 

 authorized to act, if present obstructions have ceased 



to exist. Article XXX calls.iipon the Governments 

 of the different states to respect the democratic prin- 

 ciples of the several ConstitutionSj and always refuse 

 to support any second presidential terms. Articles 

 XXX, XXXI, and XXXII provide for the term dur- 

 ing which the treaty shall remain in force, its rati- 

 fication and exchange, and the abrogation of various 

 laws that appear contradictory to it. 



GUNS FOR COAST DEFENSE. There has been 

 for many years a discussion among the army 

 and navy authorities of the United States rela- 

 tive to the best kind of guns for the defense of 

 the coast, and also in regard to the best loca- 

 tion for making such guns. In 1883 the Mili- 

 tary Committee of the House of Representa- 

 tives agreed to the report in favor of doing 

 away with more than half of the arsenals 

 maintained by the Government. Only three 

 or four of the whole thirteen were declared 

 necessary; and the one at Watervliet, three 

 miles north of Albany, was one of those to be 

 abandoned. It was afterward decided that 

 this particular arsenal should be continued, be- 

 cause its situation is exceptionally fine. A 

 tract of over 100 acres is contained in the 

 triangle, which has a base on the Hudson 

 river, and direct communication with the world 

 by the Erie Canal, which runs through it. 

 Close by there are some of the largest iron and 

 steel mills in the country, from which supplies 

 of raw material can be drawn. As a fortress 

 it is one of the strongest in the country, for it 

 can be guarded by a comparatively small force. 

 For these reasons it is thought better to main- 

 tain this arsenal than some other that is more 

 accessible to vessels drawing more water than 

 is afforded by the upper half of Hudson river. 

 Water-power is furnished from a race-way cut 

 from the canal to the river, with a fall of 18 

 feet. Almost unlimited power is thus close at 

 hand during more than five months of the 

 year. The capacity of the arsenal in time of 

 war was one gun-carriage complete, with lim- 

 ber, per day ; but this capacity was often in- 

 creased. These facts, and other considera- 

 tions, led to the introduction of a bill by Mr. 

 Cameron, in the United States Senate, in 1885, 

 for the erection of two large gun-factories, one 

 for the army, at Watervliet, and one for the 

 navy, at Washington. This was the first prac- 

 tical measure proposed for the adequate pro- 

 tection of our sea-coast. The bill provided 

 for the erection of the two factories at a cost of 

 about $1,000,000 each, and also for the purchase 

 of about 10,000 pounds of tempered steel from 

 private firms, to be converted into cannon. At 

 that time it was estimated that about 300 or 

 400 guns of various bores would be required 

 for the forts and ships, some of these to weigh 

 100 tons. It was expected that each of the 

 proposed factories would be able to turn out in 

 a year twelve fifteen -inch guns, seventeen 

 twelve-inch guns, and fifty six-inch guns, the 

 annual expense being about $2,000,000. This 

 bill did not pass the House of Representatives. 

 Early in 1885 Senator Hawley made a report, 

 founded on the evidence submitted by experts 



