HIGH-HANDED ACTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 15, 11 October 1910, Page 5

HIGH-HANDED ACTION.

BY THE HONDURAS REPUBLIC. BRITISHERS AND AMERICANS THREATENED. CONSULS ASK FOR WARSHIPS. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 10, 10.30 p.m. New York, October 10. The Sun's Gautemala advices state that foreigners at Amapala, Honduras, fled owing, to General Valadarcs, th.e commandant, ordering all Americans and Britishers to be> imprisoned and their property confiscated. The bulk of the Americans' property was seized. The British. Consul fled to San Salvador, amid a shower of biullets from the troops. The Commandant wanted to arrest him on a charge of fomenting a revolution. The Consul has asked for a warship to be sent. The commandant threatens to bum the city immediately a warship is sighted. The American gunboat Princeton, now at Acapulco, ihas been, ordered to Amapala.

Honduras is a Republic in Central America, established in 1839, just before the Confederation of Central America broke up. It is governed by a president and congress, elected by popular vote, for four years. Religious liberty is guaranteed by the Constitution, but Roman Catholicism prevails. Education is free, compulsory from seven to fifteen years of age, and secular. The army comprises 2000 men and the militia 30,000. The country possesses great agricultural resources and much mineral wealth, but t'h*se have ibeen neglected because of lack of capital and transport. The revenue is derived mainly from the Customs and from Government monopolies in spirits, powder and tobacco. The area is 43,000 square miles (New Zealand's area is a little over 100,000 square miles) and the population 500,136 (mostly Indians) ; the imports form 1007-8 were valued at £425,456, and exports at £382,0!)7, th.° public debt being £5.398,570. The Republic does not believe in paying interest on the public debt, the arrears to ICW)S amounting to no less than £ 16,681,127.