The smaller countries in and around the Caribbean Sea, at least, seemed likely to become virtually American protectorates.
Like their Hispanic neighbor on the north, the little republics of Central America were also scenes of political disturbance.

None of them except Panama escaped revolutionary uprisings, though the loss of life and property was insignificant.

On the other hand, in these early years of the century the five countries north of Panama made substantial progress toward federation.

As a South American writer has expressed it, their previous efforts in that direction "amid sumptuous festivals, banquets and other solemn public acts" at which they "intoned in lyric accents daily hymns for the imperishable reunion of the isthmian republics," had been as illusory as they were frequent.

Despite the mediation of the United States and Mexico in 1906, while the latter was still ruled by Diaz, the struggle in which Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Salvador had been engaged was soon renewed between the first two belligerents.