The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-10
Nicaragua Waterway to Be
Aided and Controlled.
SCHEME READY FOR CONGRESS.
United States to Furnish S100, ,OOo,.
900 in Bonds.
Central American Republics in Return
tot Give Privileges Which Would Put
This Country on q War Footing
Through the Region Traversed.

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. Especial. T.
In the Senate today a resolution of a
rather innocent appearance was quietly
read and passed without debate or COM
ment. 1t provided for the printing of
1000 maps of the route of the Nicaragua
canal and the contiguous country. There
is no further doubt that the Senate is pre-
pairing TO present the country with a gil
gantic scheme, involving millions of
money, and contemplating stroke in di-
plomacy that viii send this administration
out with more than the usual amount of
glory In the eyes of those who are adher-
ents of the Monroe doctrine. The COM
mittee on foreign affairs has been holding
long meetings of late, and its close-mouthed
members have been unusually mum, not
opening their lips except in the executive
sessions of the Senate. When the pro-
ceedings are made public, however, it will
De found that they involve proposition
which will include the issuance of bonds
by the United States government to the
amount of $100, 600 to be used in the
construction of the Nicaragua canal.
While the canal will be constructed and
ostensibly owned by private corporations
1t will really be under the complete control
of this government, which will have full
jurisdiction of hxing tolls and kindred
matters.
The security which will be offered for
all this government assistance is a we'll
kept secret, known only to the Senate,
the Central American republics interested
and private corporation which now has
the work in hand. The scheme involves
the gift TO the United States of certain
privileges which would at once place this
country on war footing in the region
traversed by the canal, and in a measure
establish protectorate over it, securing
the waterway against foreign interference,
and making the Central American states
safe IN their possessions and increased
prestige on account of the canal.
A large majority of the committee on
foreign relations believe that the people
endorse it. There may be little difficulty
in the Senate when the matter comes up
formally in the shape of bill, over the
question Of how far the government will
go in acquiring title, as there is senti-
ment in some quarters favoring the pur-
chase of the canal outright, and its full
operation in every detail by the govern
ment, but it is hardly probable that this
os1hsiAhSAe Will PiCFdAs OHC iuch It's
promoters have is that the United States
secure control of the Nicaraguan canal,
much after the manner in which England
took possession of the Suez canal, and as
that plan proved successful they think
this would be successful also.
Of course there will be opposition, prin-
cipally on the ground that the measure
will have too much the appearance of
putting the credit of the government be-
hind private corportion, and besides
there will be the usual cry that the whole
thing is gigantic steal, intended to en-
rich few men at the expense of the ma
tional treasury, and the subsidized Pacific
railroads will be pointed out as a case in
point.
This is the true description in general
way of the scheme as it stands. Any
change made will depend on the future
sessions of the foreign affairs committee.