Part 7 (1/2)

Immigrants also include the foreigners whose transportation is not paid by the government or by private companies. The wearing apparel and household furniture, tools, domestic animals and other possessions of immigrants are entered at the custom-house free of duty.

An important provision authorizes the government to grant gratuitously to immigrants lots of public lands in certain districts provided that the immigrants bind themselves to cultivate within two years the third part of the land granted. For this purpose zones of tillable land are set apart in the districts named.

Immigrants are exempted for a period of four years after their arrival from service in the construction or repair of the public roads and from the payment of munic.i.p.al taxes. They are also exempted from military service except in the case of foreign war. They enjoy all the rights and privileges granted by law to Guatemalan citizens.

PUBLIC LANDS FOR SETTLERS.

Under a general law a body of official engineers was created for surveying and distributing the uncultivated public lands and fixing the prices therefor. The price varies according to the nature of the land, whether it is for grazing, raising cereals; whether capable of raising sugar, banana, etc.; whether adapted to coffee and cotton, or whether it contains forests. Public lands may also be granted to immigrants gratuitously. Information on these points can be had through correspondence with the Department of Agriculture called ”Direccion General de Agricultura,” in Guatemala City.

President Estrada Cabrera's land policy has been directed especially to prevent great areas from being kept out of cultivation. He has dictated many measures with the purpose of breaking up the huge estates that often are uncultivated for want of capital and making them productive through the encouragement of small capitalists or farmers.

The general system of highways and cart roads as well as of the railroads has been devised for this purpose.

With regard to colonization and immigration the policy of securing the benefit of the favored soil to settlers has been indicated in the correspondence with various companies and individuals. In a report by the Director of Agriculture he declared that immigration from North America would be very pleasing to Guatemala and would strengthen the cordial relations existing between the two countries. That the immigrants will be well received he was a.s.sured. Their practical character would be especially valuable in developing the resources of the country. The Director, however, called attention to the fact that in many places of the country the geological conditions were not similar to the prairies of the United States where in the beginning very much could be accomplished on a large scale by machinery. In many of the districts open to settlement in Guatemala much of the work of clearing would have to be done by hand. That is one reason why encouragement is given to the individual settlers instead of to companies.

To broaden and strengthen the present immigration law the Department of Agriculture has recommended that certain lands be thrown open to settlement on the following conditions:

1. The government shall make the plan for the colony dividing the lands into lots of one caballeria (112 acres).

2. The settler shall take immediate possession of the lot which is granted him.

3. The government shall aid the removal of the colonists from their present place of residence to the point where they intend to settle.

This aid to be extended under conditions which will insure its repayment.

4. The colonists on taking possession of their land shall obligate themselves to begin cultivating some of the following articles: rice, corn, beans, coffee, cacao, vanilla, rubber, cotton, hemp, etc.

5. The government shall designate from among the colonists some one who shall give general instruction with regard to the farming.

CHAPTER VI.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

Friendly relations with all countries, both neighboring and distant, is a leading point in President Estrada Cabrera's programme. The relations of Guatemala with the United States are particularly close and cordial.

In his annual message President Estrada Cabrera said:

”It is well known that the grand Republic of North America always has shown the most sympathetic regard for our country and the earnest effort of my government has been to strengthen the ties of friends.h.i.+p which unite the two nations. With this feeling existing there has been achieved during the period since 1898 the most flattering results, so that it can be confidently stated that never before have the relations between Guatemala and the United States reached so great a degree of cordiality as to-day, and it may be said that never has any cause of discord between the two governments been so remote as now. The death of the ill.u.s.trious President McKinley, which was felt so deeply in Guatemala, and the advent into the Presidency of Mr. Roosevelt in no way interrupted the progress of affairs with our Republic and those which were pending followed their tranquil course towards a satisfactory arrangement.”

The Secretary of Foreign Relations in his annual report said:

”Motives a.n.a.logous to those which in foreign governments have caused congratulation over the re-election of Senor Estrada Cabrera as President of Guatemala have made it pleasing that the government of this Republic on its part could extend its congratulations over the re-election in the United States and Mexico respectively of Messrs. Roosevelt and Diaz, two eminent statesmen whose conciliatory policies are well known, as likewise their sympathetic regard for Guatemala. The continuation of these ill.u.s.trious personages in power is considered by this government as a guaranty of the increasing cordiality of the relations of Guatemala with them and it has also enabled at the same time to be placed in evidence with all sincerity the satisfaction which has been produced by their re-election in their respective countries.”