How beneficial is the attitude of the United States of America in collecting and disseminating3 every particle of information which can prove of the slightest service to American traders! Month by month, through the medium of the Pan-American Bureau Bulletin, a Government-endowed institution journal of the utmost utility, not only to American traders, but to those of every country of the world, every item of commercial, industrial, and financial information culled4 from Latin-American countries is published in tabular form, and supplied at a merely nominal5 figure to all who care to avail themselves of it. Such information is primarily the result of the researches and the reports made by United States Consuls6 in the countries mentioned, and it is perfectly7 certain that none are permitted to enjoy "allowances" of ￡200 a year, as is our Consul1 at San Salvador, without showing something in return for such payment in the shape of a report of some kind or other.
Here I may record that of Mr. Walter Edmund Coldwell, our unsalaried Consul at San Salvador, I have[111] nothing whatever to say but what is complimentary8, since he is personally a very amiable9 and courteous10 gentleman, ready and willing at any time to aid any Britisher seeking his advice, and which, in view of his experience and complete knowledge of Spanish, is certainly of great value. I feel certain that, had any request come from the Foreign Office addressed to Mr. Coldwell for a report upon trade conditions and prospects11 in Salvador, he would have been perfectly prepared to supply, as he is undoubtedly12 capable of supplying, it in view of his long residence, extending over twelve years. I go further, and suggest that had Mr. Coldwell not waited for any such request, but had acted upon his own initiative and sent in a report to the Foreign Office, such would either have been pigeonholed13 or the Consul have been snubbed for his pains. It cannot be too often observed, nor too emphatically pointed14 out, that it is not the officials of our Consular Service who are wholly to blame; it is the "System" perpetuated15 by successive Governments—it matters not one pin's head whether they be Liberals or Conservatives or a hybrid16 mixture of many political parties—which is all wrong, and the ignorant and indifferent Permanent Officials at Downing Street who are responsible for the appalling17 condition of incompetency18 which our Consular Service to-day displays.
The following incident will show with what care and attention the Government of the United States follow every little incident and occurrence that can in any way affect trade relations between themselves and the smaller Latin-American States. In the month of February, 1909, the United States Minister sent to his Government a complaint to the effect that the[112] Salvadorean Government allowed favoured-nation treatment to certain articles of French origin imported into the Republic, which treatment was not accorded to similar articles from the United States. The United States Government at once instructed the Minister at San Salvador to ask for an explanation, and he as promptly19 got it; not, perhaps, in the precise terms which he could have wished, but—he got it! The answer came from the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the following terms:
"The Treaty of Peace and Amity20, Commerce and Consular Rights celebrated21 between Salvador and the United States on December 6, 1870, having become inoperative by reason of the denunciation of the same on the part of the Government of Salvador, in accordance with the prearranged conditions from May 30, 1893, merchandise proceeding22 from the United States can only be accorded such treatment in the Customs Houses of Salvador as is provided for in the general tariff23 law of the Republic, without special concessions24 or privileges."
The answer was so convincing and so conclusive25 that the United States Government forthwith proceeded to celebrate a fresh Treaty with the Republic, and has since then enjoyed all the privileges which such can procure26.
Upon a previous occasion—namely, in 1907—the United States Vice-Consul in San Salvador having requested from the Government of the Republic a general statement of economic conditions prevailing27 throughout the country, the reply was published very soon afterwards in the form of an elaborate and complete account of the commercial, industrial, and financial conditions of the Republic, the whole taking up the greater portion of a special number of the Diario Oficial. One cannot imagine a British Consul having the enterprise to make[113] any such request from a foreign Government to which he is accredited28, although the information, if sought, would be as readily forthcoming as it was for an American Vice-Consul. But when we witness the sorry spectacle of British officials allowing—or being allowed—twenty years to pass by without having issued any kind of report for the information of his countrymen, what can be expected?
The United States Secretary of State officials, who are so ably assisted by the co-operation of the Pan-American Bureau and its admirable monthly publication, The Bulletin, deserve every credit for the unflagging interest which they manifest in promoting and assisting their country's trade abroad. In this matter, at least, we might advantageously follow the example of our Transatlantic competitors. As it is, we should feel deeply grateful to the American Government for periodically issuing information which is as accessible to Britishers, or to any other nationalities, as to the Americans themselves. And it costs us nothing; which should be gratifying to that large class of individuals who enjoy getting something without putting their hands into their own pockets.
It seems a very remarkable29 fact that Salvador, like a great number of other Latin-American States, has been enabled to find in Great Britain a thoroughly30 capable and influential31 Consular representative, while Great Britain has so signally failed, except in some few instances, in securing similar representatives abroad. Nor is this circumstance the less noteworthy when it is observed that the Salvadorean Consul-General in London is not a native of that Republic, but an Irishman, and is probably one of the first—if not the only—Irishman who has filled a similar[114] position. Mr. Mark Jamestown Kelly, F.R.G.S., F.S.A., etc., has been the Consular representative of both the Republics of Salvador and Honduras for over fifteen years, and it is only within the past few months that he has been compelled, owing to continued pressure of work in connection with the chairmanship of the Salvador Railway Company, to abandon his consular position in regard to Salvador. How greatly the Government of that State regretted Mr. Kelly's retirement32, and how strong was the pressure brought to bear to induce him to withdraw his resignation, was fully33 evidenced in a remarkable letter of thanks which the Government addressed to Mr. Kelly lately, and from which the following is a brief extract. After referring in eloquent34 terms to the deep disappointment which the Government felt at Mr. Kelly's inability to reconsider the question of resignation, and having announced that the Executive had therefore most reluctantly accepted the inevitable35, and had arranged to send over at an early date a representative to relieve Mr. Kelly of his official duties, Dr. Manuel E. Araujo, the President of the Republic (who has long been personally acquainted with Mr. Kelly), addressed him as follows:
"I deplore36 profoundly your resignation of the business of the Consulate-General, which with so much tact38 and industry you have been discharging during so long a lapse39 of time; and your resignation of your post, being based upon reasons which I cannot set aside, has this day at last been accepted by my Government, but with the hope that you will always contribute in one way or another with the very valuable contingent40 of your wisdom and experience in all matters relating to the good name and honour of Salvador. I tender to you in consequence, in my own name and in that of my country, the most whole-souled thanks for the very important services[115] which you have afforded to us in the past, and which we do not doubt we shall continue to receive from your well-known magnanimity."
Kelly
Mr. Mark Jamestown Kelly, F.R.G.S.
For 15 years Consul-General in Great Britain for Salvador (retired41 June, 1911), and Chairman of the Salvador Railway Company, Ld.
Mr. Kelly has undoubtedly rendered lasting42 and exceptional services to the State of Salvador during the long period over which he has represented its commercial and financial interests in this country. As its Financial Agent in Europe, he carried out the long and difficult negotiations43 which ended in successfully settling and discharging the foreign debt of the Republic, and permitted of that great undertaking44, the construction of a through line of railway from the port of Acajutla to the Capital of San Salvador, being financed and completed. Last year Mr. Kelly also negotiated, with much tact and conspicuous45 ability, a new Salvador Foreign Loan, which to-day ranks as a gilt-edge security on the London Stock Exchange, and stands at a substantial premium46.
Besides his Consular appointments, Mr. Mark J. Kelly holds the positions of Chairman of the Salvador Railway Company, Limited, and President of the Salvador Chamber47 of Commerce in London; while he is generally regarded as one of the greatest living authorities upon the questions of foreign exchange and Latin-American commerce.
For many years Mr. Kelly was identified with railway construction in Ecuador and later on with Salvador, and his great charm of manner, coupled with his extraordinary grasp of detail and intimate knowledge of finance in all its aspects, have combined to make his co-operation in financial and commercial matters a question of the greatest value to the latter country mentioned, as well as to all who have invested money therein. Mr. Kelly is a perfect Spanish scholar; and when I was[116] travelling with him in Salvador, many of the natives with whom we conversed48 frankly50 informed me that, but for his distinctive51 European name, Mr. Kelly might very well pass for a pure-bred Spaniard or Spanish-American, so admirably did he converse49 in and write their language. Of the newly appointed Salvadorean Consul-General. Se?or Don Artúro Ramón ávila, I have spoken in Chapter III.
Major the Hon. William Heimké, who was appointed the Minister of the United States of America to Salvador in 1909, is a native of France, having been born in that country in 1847 and naturalized in the United States. He went to America at a very early age, and entered the regular army when he was but fifteen. He served with distinction during the Civil War, being engaged in several important battles. After the war he served as headquarters clerk under Generals Sherman, Pope, Hancock, and Sheridan, and he was also in the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments. In 1881 he became purchasing agent for the Mexican Central Railroad, and in 1883 was appointed general manager of the Chihuahua and Durango Telephone Company in Mexico. In 1887 he again entered the service of the United States as Vice-Consul at Chihuahua. He was advanced to Consul in 1892, and retired in 1893. In 1897 he became Second Secretary of the United States Legation in Mexico, and was promoted First Secretary of their Legation in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1906. He was appointed Envoy52 Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Guatemala on March 10, 1908. Major Heimké is a member of the American Academy of Economic, Social, and Political Science of Philadelphia, and of the International Folk Lore37 Society of Chicago.
[117]
One of the kindest and most hospitable53 of men, Major Heimké, in conjunction with his charming wife, a lady of the greatest culture and artistic54 tastes, makes his home one of the most pleasant places for Americans and foreigners alike sojourning in San Salvador. Major and Mrs. Heimké have firmly established themselves in the regard and the esteem55 of the Salvadoreans; and they are undoubtedly the most popular diplomatic representatives of the United States of America who have occupied the Legation.
The Salvadorean Minister to the United States of America is Se?or Federico Mejía, who is one of the most prominent men in his country, having for some time been Minister of Finance and Public Credit. Upon his introduction to his present office on April 6, 1907, he was officially received by President Roosevelt, and upon this occasion Se?or Mejía said:
"Mr. President: I have the honour to place in your hands the autograph letter by which I am accredited as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Government of Salvador, near the Government of Your Excellency. I present to you at the same time the letters of recall of my distinguished56 predecessor57, Dr. Don José Rosa Pacas.
"Nothing could be more pleasing to me than the honour of conveying to Your Excellency the expression of my Government's wish to maintain and draw closer, if that were possible, the friendly relations which happily exist between our two countries; and in the discharge of the duties of the mission which is entrusted58 to me, I shall spare no effort to voice faithfully the sentiments of the Salvadorean people, trusting that I shall meet, in so doing, the same cordiality and interest you have manifested in the cause of the welfare of my country, and that of the other States of Central America.
"Accept, Sir, the wishes that I make in the name of the President of Salvador, and in my own, for the prosperity and[118] further aggrandizement59 of the great American nation, and for the health and personal welfare of Your Excellency."
To this friendly and well-expressed address President Roosevelt replied in equally felicitous60 terms as follows:
"Mr. Minister: I receive with great pleasure the cordial sentiments of friendship to which you give expression, both for your Government and for the Salvadorean people. Entertaining the most sincere wishes for the prosperity and happiness of your countrymen, and having at heart the continuation and strengthening of the good relations which have already subsisted61 between our two countries, I assure you of my co-operation in your aim to that end. I have no doubt that, while worthily62 representing the Government by which you are accredited, you will so conduct your mission as to merit and receive the sincere friendship and high regard of that of the United States. I am glad, therefore, to greet you as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Salvador to the United States. I beg that you will convey to the President of Salvador my cordial appreciation63 of his message of goodwill64 to me personally, and for the prosperity of the United States, and assure him of my earnest reciprocation65 of his wishes. For your own good wishes I thank you; and I trust you will find your residence with us to be most agreeable."
Rotulo
Side view of "El Rotulo" Bridge.
National
The National Road leading to La Libertad, showing "El Rotulo" Bridge.
On December 20, 1907, the Central American Peace Conference, held in Washington, concluded a Convention providing for meetings of Central American Conferences to be convened66 on January 1 of each year for a period of five years, with the object of agreeing upon the most efficient and proper means of bringing uniformity into the economical and fiscal67 interests of the Central American States. The Peace Conference designated Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as the place of the first meeting of the Central American Conference, and prescribed that the Conference should choose the place[119] for holding the next Conference, and so on successively until the expiration68 of the Convention concerning future Central American Conferences.
The first Central American Conference, which met in Honduras on January 1, 1909, selected San Salvador as the place for holding the second Central American Conference, which was underlined for January 1, 1910. For unavoidable reasons the members of the Conference could not meet in San Salvador on the date prescribed, and the President of the Republic, acting69 in conformity70 with Article II. of the aforesaid Convention of the Peace Conference, postponed71 the meeting of the second Central American Conference until February 1 of the same year, which met on that date and concluded its work on the fifth day of the same month.
The results obtained by the Conference were the celebration of six Conventions, all of which were signed on February 5 of last year. The first of these Conventions provides for the establishment in Costa Rica of a pedagogic institute for Central America; the second, for the unification of the Consular service abroad of the five Republics; the third provides for monetary72 uniformity on a gold basis; the fourth, for Central American commercial reciprocity; the fifth, for the adoption73 of the metric system of weights and measures; and the sixth defines the functions of each Government toward the Central American bureau in Guatemala.
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consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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consular
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| a.领事的 | |
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disseminating
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| 散布，传播( disseminate的现在分词 ) | |
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culled
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| v.挑选，剔除( cull的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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pigeonholed
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| v.把…搁在分类架上( pigeonhole的过去式和过去分词 )；把…留在记忆中；缓办；把…隔成小格 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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perpetuated
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| vt.使永存（perpetuate的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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hybrid
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| n.(动，植）杂种，混合物 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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incompetency
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| n.无能力，不适当 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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amity
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| n.友好关系 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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tariff
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| n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表 | |
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concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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accredited
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| adj.可接受的；可信任的；公认的；质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 )；委托；委任；把…归结于 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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deplore
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| vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾 | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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envoy
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| n.使节，使者，代表，公使 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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aggrandizement
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| n.增大，强化，扩大 | |
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felicitous
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| adj.恰当的，巧妙的；n.恰当，贴切 | |
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subsisted
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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worthily
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| 重要地，可敬地，正当地 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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reciprocation
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| n.互换 | |
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convened
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| 召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合 | |
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fiscal
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| adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的 | |
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expiration
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| n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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conformity
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| n.一致，遵从，顺从 | |
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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monetary
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| adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的 | |
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adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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