The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-31
THE PANAMA CANAL.

Rumored Action of the European Pow
ers-A Joint Circular Rejecting Mr..
Blaine's Conclusions.
LONDON, Oct. 29.-The Memorial Diplo-
matique of Paris states that Earl Granville,
British Foreign Secretary, will propose that
the European powers send an identical note to
Washington, courteously rejecting the con-
illusions of Secretary Blaine's circular note
with regard to the Panama Canal No DEEPEN
dence can be placed however on this r, port
unless it is corroborated from some authoritative
source. and SO far it lacks such confirmation.
LONDON, Oct 29.-The Pail Mall Gazette of
this evening says: 1t cannot be doubted that
Mr. Blaine's circular was not actuated by any
historical policy, but by the fear that an inter-
national guarantee might interfere Will the
arrangement by which the United States and
Colombia reserved to themselves the right to
pass their men-of-war and troops through the
canal at all time, while providing that the can
cal should be closed to nations at war with
either contracting party. The expedient OF
America for securing her interest In the Pana-
ma canal by negotiating q treaty by surprise
with small, weak state is not much happier
than the British purchase of Suez canal shares,
which aimed at similar object. European
powers might legitimately hesitate to commit
the virtual comand of one the very greatest
commercial routes in the world to one very
strong power and one very weak one.
The Clayton-Bulwer treaty may be usefully
employed to call to recollection Americas for
mer and wiser frame of mind. The Pail Mall
Gazette cannot see why in entering upon any
similar negotiation, the United States should
not make it an indispensable condition that no
treaty should render her military and naval
position worse than at present In refusing to
settle the status of the canal by international
agreement she is setting precedent great
deal worse than inconvenient"
The Saturday Review, commenting on Sec
rotary Blaine's circular, says:-"Great Britain
may, perhaps, deem it expedient to declare
that no pretension can be strengthened by the
use of menacing language. 1t may be well to
any encroachment upon the neutrality of the
canal. Precedent to the time OF the Mexican
expedition, sound reasons might have been OPP
posed to the American claim, but it if highly
probable that the banks of the canal will be-
come virtually subject to American sovereign
ty. and it would be difficult to displace occu-
pants in possession"
How MIR. Blaine's Letter is Regarded in
England.
NEW YORK, Oct. 30.-The Tribune's London
special says:
much adverse criticism the differences are by
no means so great as the Tories make it APP
pear. The Jingoes are endeavoring to stir up a
schawinistic' feeling against America, but this
meets with no response. Moderate people adj
nit the Justice of the American objections to
general European guarantee, but uge that
England in this matter is not European
power Her possessions in Amecica and in
the Pacific make her dislike as much as
America interference of continental states in
the New World. A scheme for guarantee
backed by England and America finds the
most approval and is moreover in accord with
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty"