St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-22
THE NICARAGUA TREATY.
Opinions of Prominent Army and
Navy Officers in Regard to its
Ratification.
some Very Plain Words Spoken on the
Subject by Prominent Southern
Gentleman.
special Telegram to the Globe. /

Especial Telegram to the Globe.I
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2l.-The army and
navy. is naturally pleased With the Nicaragua
treaty, and hopeful of its ratification. That
event would add something TO the import
ance OF the land service, and it would make
the maintenance of modern fleet absolutely
necessary. The officers talk freely about the
latter when they are sure their remarks will
not get into print, or at least that their names
will not be published. Professional etiquette
closes the mouths OF most of them TO regular
interviewing. A general officer, who is
member of the Swain court martial, said:
sit will be great thing for both the army
and the navy, and for the following reason:
Two strong forts will be required, one at
each enG Of the canal, and perhaps a third
midway between the two. These will need TO
be of the best modern type known to military
engineering science, otherwise they would
be perfectly useless; and a special garrison
of not less than 5000 men, perhaps more,
will be needed to properly man them. You
see, this action Of the president and his sec
retary Of state is a pretty audacious piece of
business. We have notified all the world
that we intend to control the Inter
Oceanic canal route, build it
ourselves, and regulate the passage Of com
merce and war ships through it as we may
see eroper. There must soon come final
struggle between Russia and England for
supremacy in the east, and the fleets of the
latteT will certainly attack the far lying colo
nies of England beyond the Pacific. That
nation, in view of the Clayton Bulmer treaty,
which We coolly propose to disregard, would
declare that so long as that treaty was not
formally abrogated By the powers making it,
it held good, and under 1t she would demand
an equal right in the control of
the great intercolonial waterway. If
it were denied, we would be
pointed at as the power that had violated the
solemn obligations of treaty made and rat
fled by both nations. A British fleet would
then levy an indemnity on our great seaports
to compensate for the damage done to Aus
tralian and Tasmanian cities by Russian
trHizers, and of course We would have to
pay. am for the canal. We need some-
thing to stir up the military spirit of the ma
ton which the all pervading anxiety among
our people to get money has somewhat
stopped, and this would do it. We are very
rich and very weak. The president has done
wise thing, and we cannot go back on him
now'
A naval officer of high rank said:
Nothing since the Yirginius affair has
created such a lively sensation in our ser
ice as has this Nicaraguan treaty, and
don't see how either branch of congress can
disregard it. The president has put us into
deep water before We knew it, Ii we fail to
ratify this treaty all Europe will understand
that we were simply afraid to DO it, and a
pleasant position that would be- If we do
Tatify it, then we must get ready to maintain
our pretensions in the Caribbean
sea by something more than talk
This will necessitate modern feet, and at
least two modern forts, armed with the best
guns that can be made. The reasons why I
favor this treaty are very easily given, aid
they are these: 1t is time for us to assert
some distinctly American policy. 1t is time
We brought our navy up to a reasonable state
Of efficiency or wiped it out AS it stands
to-day it is disgrace to great nations leg
islature. There are no better trained OF
braver officers in the world than those who
are on these obsolete ships, but they are well
nigh disheartened. ANY change viii be fol-
the better.'
A southern senator, who had been spoken
of for a cabinet officer, remarked:
II think this Nicarguan treaty viii bt
ratified by the senate We Democrats hay,
talked it over som ewhat and the genera
opinion is that we win do we'll for the coun
try. and the party, too, to stand by the presi
dent. What the Republicans from the Yves
intend doing is more than 1 can saw. New
England-that is the Maine and Massachu
setts senators Il learn win oppose it, on th
ground that it may get US into row. hay
been told by reliable persons that France i
very angry, and as a counteractlng coup wi
seriously attempt to obtain the control G
Panama, in spite of diplomat
denials, which is another term for diplomat
lying. I happen to be aware that this YER
scheme OF protecorate has been considere
by the Lesseps party, and if there is tn
slightest opportunity it will be done. Their
is a growing violent, though concealed, OF
position to the ratification of this treaty from
other directions. All the trains of the Con
tinental railroads have ordered their agent
to fight it. The Eads whirligig-what i
1.-THE ship railway business-is opposed t
it, because it will nullify that little matter
Then the gents of the Panama canal are her
in force, and possess more social and politi
cal influence than all the rest of the machin
cry Of the lobby put together, and are wor,
ing like beavers. Unless this nation i
weaker and meaner than am willing to be
NeVe it is, congress will ratify that treaty.