The morning call., 1894-03-15
THE AFFAIR AT BLUEFIELDs.

The news from Bluefields is not salts
factory 1t seems to be certain that the
British man-of- war Cleopatra landed her
marines In the first week of March and
occupied the town. 1t is stated that they
were Invited to do so by the English resi-
dents of Bluefelds. whose request was
backed mp by party OF Mosquito Indians.
According to the story-whieh Eeeds cor
roboration-the Nicaraguan Government.
in the exercise Of its undoubted SOW
ereignty. dispatched a company of troops
to the place to preserve the peace, and
they were invited to retire by the
English, and did retire. At latest dates.
the town is said to have been in the posses
sion of the English.
All this looks like an attempt to resur-
rect the troubles of forty years ago. Blue
fields is little town of 500 inhabitants at
the mouth OF the Bluefields River. which
is navigable for eighty miles from the
Caribbean Sea. 1t is the outlet of rather
productive country. chiefly inhabited BY
aborigines VINO are known as Mosquito
Indians and halfbreeds. 1t is within
the territory of Nicaragua. Forty odd
years ago England attempted to annex
this country, and concluded treaties with
parsonage whom they called the Mos
quito King, and whose costume consisted
Of the traditional cooked hat and spurs.
The United States protested: disposi-
ton was manifested 20 give practical ef-
feet TO the Monroe doctrine; the English
retreated. and the controversy was set
tied by the absurd Clayton Bulwer treaty
Ever since then the English have re-
Trained from INDUCING their appetite for
Central American territory. Now. it
seems, that appetite has become so gnaw-
ing that a new demonstration has been
made, which will give Mr.. Gresham an
opportunity of treading il the footsteps of
Clayton of Delaware.
Bluefelds is in u degrees north latitude,
only few miles north of the east end of
the proposed Nicaragua canal. The
United States could no more afford 10
allow the English 10 take possession of il
than they could permit them TO occupy the
harbor of San Diego. Tie awkgardness
Of the actual situation springs out of the
fact that they are there already, and that
they will experience no difficulty in Undue
ing the Mosquito Indians TO sign a protest
against their withdrawal. 4 bottle or two
OF whisky and a swallow-tail coat proved
irresistible 10 the Mosquito K ng in the old
days. Nicaragua is powerless. Her con-
troll over the Mosquito coast is vague. and
may be disputed by the natives if they get
an assurance of English support.
Although parts of the shore line lie low
and are unhealthy. the plateau lying back
OF the beach is a fine country, full of ma
hogany ana other woods which are used in
ca binet making. and which are becoming
very scarce ana dear. Under English rule
prosperous colony might be built UP
there. There is an abundance of labor
A number of persons of African descent
from the West Indies Islands settled there
long ago, intermsrried with the natives
and have had numerous progeny. This
race would naturally take kindly to the
idea of becoming an independent state
under an English protectorate. As Blue
fields Is only seventy or eighty miles from
Grey town the English might offer Mica
ragua q bride to asseat to the secession of
the Mosquito Coast by offering to build the
Nicaragua canal on the failure of the
American company to carry that enter
prise 10 completion.
1t would be good politics tor the Rose
berry Government to divert the attention
of the English from political strife at
home by giving the British people some
thing to think about in the shape of
quarrel with The United States over new
Central American colony. Rosebery could
say that England seeks no territorial
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. She merely proposes to
help the people of the Mosquito Coast to
rise in the scale of civilization. She pur-
poses 10 send them Bibles and to get ma
hogany in exchange. Is there anything
wrong in that, and why should the United
States stand in the way of so natural a step
in human progress ? He would make
quite plausible case, unless our Govern
ment puts in very decided answer