717 erence with them. Gr the many u The part reache. Havan: wen e. Tat mmediate nel content With the Libera, and Conservative potas Honduran con's kenang true to their alli hd policies of non-ever or except abonlutely necessary, the governments f t and brates and $1exico forore to hot during the struggle, The commb of the United States war vessels in *Cord Aurban waters (Captain Fullam, Il pindoor Maria), however, acting hondrithms from his Government, t th Marapan general that bomTowar of Honduran coast towns would Commf to Auchan and Mexican * 4* # would, unnecesWrot triests. The reorHonduran (dovernment will My move in Central 1 MANIRAL A K. WILSON. The chef of the British fleet.) FIVE OF THE BRITISH COLONIAL PREMIERS IN CONFERENCE AT LONDON. event to be followed some six months later by the evacuation by the American troops and official.. Other Caribbean Notes. A significant and interesting occurrence of the past month to Cubans as well as Americans was the decision of the United States Supreme Court (delivered on April 8) that the Isle of Pines is not only foreign territory for customs purposes, but, by inference, the United States has practically no title to the island. The much troubled republic of Santo Domingo has had a good year. According to the bulletin of the Bureau of American Republics: The year 1906 was one of advancing prosperity to the country as a whole, as attested by the fact that its industrial and commercial, activities surpassed those of any previous year in the history of the country. Substantial private enterprises, particularly in agriculture, were generally successful and enlarged in scope. Notable progress was made in every branch of commerce toward orderly and natural More people were employed or engaged in profitable labor than ever before, and the resulting increased demand for supplies stimulated both the internal trade and foreign importations. mous old cathedral, one of the largest and oldest churches in the world. The seismographical instruments at Washington, Havana, and Tokio indicate that, compared with the Jamaica earthquake, this seems to have been of greater violence and the area of destruction to have been more extended. The British In British imperial politics the event of prime importance during April was the fourth Conference of Colonial Premiers, which began its sessions in London on April 15. When the Earl of Elgin, Secretary of State for the Colonies, presented the King's greetings to the delegates, he addressed the following elective heads of England's self-governing colonies: Dr. Jameson, of Cape Colony; General Louis Botha, of the Transvaal; Mr. Alfred Deakin, of Australia; Sir Joseph G. Ward, of New Zealand; Mr. Frederick R. Moore, of Natal, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, of Canada. Sir Robert Bond, Premier of Newfoundland, arrived after the sessions had begun. The topic of most animated discussion was, of course, that of preferential trade between the colonies themselves. Since the sessions of the conference are not open to A large portion of continental Central the press, the world will have to be satisfied America, including Southern Mexico, was with official summaries of each day's proshaken by a severe earthquake on the night ceedings until a blue book on the conference of April 14. A dozen or more of the is issued. Additional topics, however, which smaller Mexican cities and towns were will certainly receive consideration during completely destroyed, and many lives lost. the month or more of session are imperial deThe shock was felt in Mexico City quite fense schemes, emigration, naturalization, business conditions. United States in case of conflict between federal treaties and State laws"; The second Hague Conference and the development of international law as a science." End of the CentralAmerican War. ferences with them. On the morning of April 7 the party reached Havana, where Mr. Taft immediately held a conference with the Liberal and Conservative politicians and men representing the business interests of the island, including a large delegation of bankers. He at once issued the following statement regarding the purposes and intention of the United States in Cuba: first elections not earlier than the middle of Sep tember. The Presidential election will follow at some indefinite future time, probably five or six months, depending on conditions. portunities and order permit, the new PresiIt is generally believed that, providing opdent will be inaugurated next summer, this By the capture, on April 12, of Amapala, the seaport town of Honduras, in which the defeated President Manuel Bonilla had been shut up for several weeks, the Central-American war was brought to a close. Early in April the will occur after the taking of a census, these Municipal and possibly provincial elections Nicaraguan army, which had been almost uni- elections determining the effectiveness of the formly victorious in its operations, defeating new electoral laws. General elections for a the allied Honduran and Salvadoran forces President, Vice-President and Congressmen will at one real battle at Choluteca, captured the taking of the census will occupy at least four follow. It all means considerable delay. The Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. President months. Then one month will intervene before Bonilla fled from this city to the seaport the municipal elections, which will bring the town of Amapala, and upon the successful bombardment of this town he took refuge on board the American cruiser Chicago. According to the terms of the temporary agreement Señor Bonilla will not be permitted to return to Honduran soil. The victory of Nicaragua was made complete by the transfer to Nicaraguan representatives in this country of all authority formerly held by Honduran consuls Remaining true to their established policies of non-intervention except where absolutely necessary, the governments of the United States and Mexico forbore to interfere during the struggle. The commander of the United States war vessels in Central-American waters (Captain Fullam, of the gunboat Marietta), however, acting under instructions from his Government, notified the Nicaraguan general that bombardment of Honduran coast towns would not be permitted by American and Mexican authorities, involving, as it would, unnecessary injury to foreign interests. The reorganization of the Honduran Government will now be awaited as the next move in CentralAmerican politics. Secretary The visit of Secretary of War Taft and his party of CongressCuba. men to Cuba and Porto Rico, during late March and early April, served to recall to the mind of the American people the still unsettled condition of Cuban politics, but at the same time emphasized the repeatedly expressed intention of our Government to restore absolute independence to Cuba as soon as her people shall have demonstrated their ability to stand alone. Secretary Taft began his tour of the Caribbean with a visit to Panama, where he met the canal officials and had several important con ADMIRAL A. K. WILSON. (The new chief of the British fleet.) FIVE OF THE BRITISH COLONIAL PREMIERS IN CONFERENCE AT LONDON. Substantial The year 1906 was one of advancing prosperity to the country as a whole, as attested by the fact that its industrial and commercial, activities surpassed those of any previous year in the history of the country. private enterprises, particularly in agriculture, were generally successful and enlarged in scope. Notable progress was made in every branch of commerce toward orderly and natural business conditions. More people were employed or engaged in profitable labor than ever before, and the resulting increased demand for supplies stimulated both the internal trade and foreign importations. A large portion of continental Central America, including Southern Mexico, was shaken by a severe earthquake on the night of April 14. A dozen or more of the smaller Mexican cities and towns were completely destroyed, and many lives lost. The shock was felt in Mexico City quite mous old cathedral, one of the largest and oldest churches in the world. The seismographical instruments at Washington, Havana, and Tokio indicate that, compared with the Jamaica earthquake, this seems to have been of greater violence and the area of destruction to have been more extended. The British Colonial Conference. In British imperial politics the event of prime importance during April was the fourth Conference of Colonial Premiers, which began its sessions in London on April 15. When the Earl of Elgin, Secretary of State for the Colonies, presented the King's greetings to the delegates, he addressed the following elective heads of England's self-governing colonies: Dr. Jameson, of Cape Colony; General Louis Botha, of the Transvaal; Mr. Alfred Deakin, of Australia; Sir Joseph G. Ward, of New Zealand; Mr. Frederick R. Moore, of Natal, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, of Canada. Sir Robert Bond, Premier of Newfoundland, arrived after the sessions had begun. The topic of most animated discussion was, of course, that of preferential trade between the colonies themselves. Since the sessions of the conference are not open to the press, the world will have to be satisfied with official summaries of each day's proceedings until a blue book on the conference is issued. Additional topics, however, which will certainly receive consideration during the month or more of session are imperial defense schemes, emigration, naturalization, British Imperial Politics. as compared with the figures of last year. Speaking for the ministry, he declared in favor of old-age pensions and other social and economic reforms. In her foreign relations, the subject of most noteworthy interest to Great Britain during the past few weeks was the visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra to Cartagena to meet King Alfonso of Spain. This meeting, while officially announced as a purely social one, is generally believed to have resulted in a definite AngloSpanish alliance. According to the terms of this agreement, it is believed that, in return for diplomatic and financial support on the part of England, Spain agrees to place at the disposal of the British Government in case of war all the ports of the kingdom. During the regular sessions of the Imperial Parliament the subjects of Secretary Haldane's bill for army reorganization, home rule for Ireland, the question of woman's suffrage, and the budget for the present year were debated and advanced in discussion. A new Admiral of the Fleet, Sir A. K. Wilson, was appointed and confirmed. Unusual popular interest in Great Britain was shown in the annual budget statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Herbert Asquith, in the House of Commons, on April 18. As the first real Liberal budget to be presented in twelve years, its general significance was recognized throughout the empire. Mr. Asquith pointed out the flourishing condition of British trade, and announced a permanent reduction of the national debt for 1906-7 of $68,570,000, which accompanied an excess of the treasury estimates of $10,000,000. The budget figures, moreover, showed a remarkable decline in the revenue from alcohol since 1899, indicating a decreased consumption throughout the United Kingdom. The Chancellor estimated a diminution in the national expenditures of more than $8,000,000 the picture?) JOHN BULL POSES FOR A PORTRAIT OF PEACE." (How can that famous English "artist," Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, paint John Bull as an 'Angel of Peace," asks Jugend (Munich), when he really looks like the disagreeable figure to the left of |