THE REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA. 
313 
must be educated; and to develop it the country must pos¬ 
sess natural riches and the opportunity of marketing them. 
But all these elements work, not in a line, but in a circle, 
as it were. Without revenue, government cannot provide 
for free education; without education, a people will not 
establish a wise form of government; without a wise 
government, the resources of the country cannot be de¬ 
veloped to yield a proper income. All these things are 
interdependent. The government must foster education 
and protect property ; it must encourage those occupations 
which increase the material wealth of the people. In¬ 
creased wealth means larger revenue, and permits greater 
expenditures for public works; so government and people 
grow together. 
Possessed of a remarkably fine climate, a favorable 
geographical situation, and great variety in its fertile soil, 
Guatemala has a population poor and unable to undertake 
important works which require capital. Money must there¬ 
fore be sought abroad to develop the riches of the land, 
which are in agricultural products rather than in mines; 
and the Government offers to any industrious, respectable 
colonists suitable tracts of public land (terrenos baldios ), 
together with exemption from duties and taxes for ten 
years. That this offer may not seem too attractive, it must 
be added that the best public lands remaining undisposed 
of are remote from ports, with no adequate means of 
communication. They are also covered for the most 
part with dense forests, to be cleared away only at 
great expense. Besides, it is well known that whenever 
virgin soil is broken up, mysterious fevers and malarial 
emanations are liberated from the soil; and although 
these are not dangerous to men of good constitution, 
