Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-28
The Situation Does Not Justify the
Sensational Stories Told.
THE POSITION OF GREAT BRITAIN
No Overt Act Expected From Her
Warship.
A DIPLOMATIC QUESTION

country does not justify the sensational
stories that have been printed about it. AS
told exclusively in yesterdays Star, 1t is
sufficiently serious without resort to ex-
aggeration. 1t was generally supposed that
the much-discussed and complicated con-
troversy between Great Britain and the
Mosquito Indians on one side and the Uni
ted States and Nicaragua on the other had
been settled on a satisfactory basis some
time ago. But now, contemporaneously
almost, with the arrival of the Nicaraguan
envoy in London, comes the knowledge that
Great Britain has refused to recognize the
right of Nicaraguan control over the Mos
quito country and the dispatch of a British
war ship from Port Limon to Bluefields, the
principal port of the Mosquito reservation.
There is good reason for the belief that the
action of Great Britain is due to her great
obJec ton to losing jurisdiction entirely over
the reservation, especially in view of the
fact that 1t affords a fine field of opera
tions In the vicinity of the Nicaragua canal
which the mother country Is known to view
with watchful and longing eye
No Overt Action Expected.
This entirely unexpected turn Of events
caused considerable excitement in Mica
rGgua, and DIR. Guzman, the Nicarag guam
minister here. was instructed to lay the
matter before the United States govern
advisable. He had a conference with Sec
retary Gresham at the State Department
early yesterday morning, one result of
which Was, as stated in yesterdays Star,
that the cruiser Columbia, then lying in
the harhor of Kingston. Jamaica, was dis
patched at once to Bluefeds to see that
American interests were fully protected In
that quarter. There is not the slightest
suspicion that the British war ship will
commit any overt acts at Bluefelds, or
that she will make any forcible attempt
to interfere with the status quo pending
the conclusion of diplomatic negotiations
between the United States and Great
Britain, which have been renewed since
the appearance of this new phase Of the
controversy.
An Explanation to BE Asked.
Secretary Gresham's interest in the mat
ter Is evidently keenly aroused for he
took immediate occasion yesterday to ca
BILE to Ambassador Bayard at London to In
vestigate the subject. and If the case be
as represented to him, to request an ex
PLANTATION from the British foreign office.
This is as far as the matter has gone to
date. There is not the slightest doubt that
the AFFAIR VIII be amicably settled by the
means of diplomacy, and the danger of
conflict between the forces of the two
countries is the remotest Of possibilities.
The Nicaraguan canal project has always
been q bone of contention between the two
countries and an effort will be made to
use the present incident as a pretext for
bringing about a final understanding on
the subject as to the respective rights of
the two countries mostly concerned.
No Increase of Naval Force.
Acting Secretary McAdoo is authority for
the statement that no orders have been
issued looking to an increased naval force
at Bluefields. He says the cruiser Mar
blehead, which was at Bluefelds all sum-
mer and is now at Kingston. Jamaica, is
coming home and is not going back to
Bluetields. Shs stopped at Kingston q
few days ago to GOAL, and II she did not
leave there for home today she will proba-
bly, do so tomorrow She is under orders
to proceed direct to Hampton Roads. If
the situation at Blue1elds was regarded
es critical 1t is not at all likely that the
department would permit the Marblehead
to leave the scene, especially as there are
no other vessels in the vicinity that can
be utilized The vessels of the North At
lantic squadron are fitting out at New
York for a cruise, but no orders have
been issued to hasten work upon them.
Their destination will be left to the discre-
ton of Admiral Meade, the commanding
officer. Capt. Evans. commanding the
New York, flagship of the fleet, is in the
city to spend Thanksgiving day. He had
talk with Acting Secretary McAdoo today,
but his visit had no bearing whatever Oh
the Bluefelds incident. He wanted to
confer with Mr.. McAdoo about the propos-
ed naVal mdneONerS the ueet.
A Report Denied.
The report that the orders Of the San
Francisco had been countermanded was
specifically denied by Mr.. McAdoo. That
vessel Is being fitted out at New York for
service on the European station, to relieve
the flagship Chicago, and will start on her
cruise across the Atlantic as soon as sho
Is ready. Mr.. McAdoo stated in a most
positive manner that the Biueflelds Incl
dent was before the State Department
alone and had not caused a single change
In the program OF the Navy Department.
The Columbia Is cruising IN the west IN
dies, and may as well be at Bluefields as at
some other point on the station So far
as he knew, there was no prospect of any
other naval vessel going there unless 1t
should be found expedent to send one for
her relief, so that she might come home for
repairs.
The CoIumbia's Movements.
The Columbia left Kingston yesterday
and will reach Bluefields at the latest to-
morrow. The British warship at Port
Limon had a shorter trip to make, and
may have reached Bluefields today, but
the probabilities are that they will both
get there about the same time.
The Old Controversy.
Mr. Bayard can scarcely add anything
new to this old controversy, which dates
BACK hal1 a century, anu must COlllli4S
self to placing the old arguments with
which he is so familiar in new dress and
standing firmly on the rights of the United
States. 1t Is a fact of significance that
although in the discussions of the past the
main issue involved has sometimes been
temporarily obscured by the drifting of the
arguments toward collateral questions and
matters of detail, the United States has
never recognized the British claim of
protectorate over the Mosquito reservation,
and, after all, the whole case may turn on
this subject. But. waving for the time be-
ing the settlement of this condition, and
tacitly recognizing the protectorate, the
position of the United States Is that in
guaranteeing to the Mosquito Indians the
right to maintain their own form of gov
ernment and law Great Britain could not
extend their sway over Americans, Mica
raguans and people Of other nations and
In fact, could not do more than provide
for the continuance of the old tribal rela-
tions, which the very few Indians remain
Moreover, in the treaty of Managua Great
Britain expressly recognized the soyer-
eighty of Nicaragua over the Mosquito res
ervation, and the assertion of sovereignty
without the exercise of control over foreign
relations and customs, which Nicaragua
has assumed, would be an absurdity.
Therefore, as the United States has so far
sided with Nicaragua in her claims and has